Awesome Breakers haka farewells retiring Penney
The New Zealand Breakers have sent out retiring champion Kirk Penney with an incredible haka after being knocked out of the NBL finals by Melbourne United.
United secured a 2-0 series win and progressed to the grand final with an 88-86 overtime victory in Auckland on Monday night.
Beyond Josh Boone's match-winning performance for Melbourne, it was the emotional scenes after the final buzzer that will be remembered.
New Zealand coach Paul Henare -- a former teammate of Penney for the Breakers and Tall Blacks -- and United's Kiwi youngster Tohi Smith-Milner joined the Breakers for a stunning haka.
"That was one heck of a game - not the right result and we're all a bit heartbroken in there right now," Breakers boss Paul Henare said.
"That had everything - so many big plays, big shots, it's all a haze right now.
"I'm so proud of the boys for playing with the fire I asked them to bring."
The 37-year-old Penney, in his second stint with the Breakers, scored 17 points in his final outing as a professional.
"Kirk, that was fun, watching him out there," Henare said.
"It was like turning back the clock. He was making crazy shots, running through screens, working so hard, he and the team left everything on the court."
Melbourne will have home-court advantage in the five-game grand final series against Adelaide or Perth, with the 36ers one win away from reaching the decider.
Former NBA veteran Boone was near untouchable in Auckland, scoring a double-double of 33 points and 15 rebounds and providing a niggly presence the Breakers couldn't quell.
Watch Josh Boone's buzzer-beating game-winner:
Yet it was nearly for naught, with the Breakers wasting a last-second chance in regular time via DJ Newbill to take the three-legged semi to a decider.
He missed a wide-open three-pointer before Edgar Sosa missed the follow-up.
Instead, the match went to overtime, with United taking the early lead and the Breakers reeling in a five-point deficit with 20 seconds remaining.
With the final play of the game, Boone overcame a Tom Abercrombie block to slot home off the board just before the hooter.
While the match-winning big man deservedly grabbed the headlines, point guard Casper Ware was equally strong with 15 points and six assists, while Chris Goulding picked up 14 points before finding himself in late foul trouble late.
The win was all the more surprising for the Breakers' strong start.
In a clear attempt to rattle the high-flying Melburnians, the Aucklanders raced out of the blocks early, pressing high and earning a quick 13-2 lead.
Struggling to respond, Melbourne went into the first quarter-time with a 26-13 deficit but appeared rejuvenated in the second quarter.
Driven by Boone, playing one of the games of his life, Melbourne went into the halftime break and three-quarter time just five points behind.
In the fourth, the lead went back and forth -- until the Breakers missed their clutch shot and the board-dominating Boone settled affairs.
with AAP