A disappointing 20 point loss to the defending champions has the Breakers season hanging by a thread.
They lost to Melbourne United at Auckland's Spark Arena on Friday, 107-87.
The defending champions showed why they are still the best team in the league.
"They made play after play, they were driving by us. Making the right pass, and making shots," coach Kevin Braswell said after the game.
Braswell laments the "same sad song, the whole we lose games," giving up too many points to the opposition. He gives credit to Melbourne's defence which kept the Breakers to just 34 points in the first half.
With 5 games to go in the regular season, Braswell's team are still two wins outside of the Top 4 and face a return match in Melbourne on Sunday. Guard Armani Moore isn't prepared to write off the season early, saying he and his teammates are still aiming to win.
"It's not the end of the season. We just got to go out and prove that we want to win," he says, "put this one behind us and just make sure we go out and play like we want to be on the court on Sunday," says Moore.
Coach Braswell is demanding his players to respond to their predicament tomorrow.
"We better play a lot harder than this on Sunday," he says, "because you're really playing for your season."
It won't be easy for the Auckland side. Melbourne will be looking to secure the number 1 spot heading with under a month left of the regular season.
The Breakers play Melbourne in Melbourne on Sunday, before returning to Spark Arena on Thursday against Adelaide. They round out the season with a home and away series against Illawarra and a final game against Brisbane.