The New Zealand Breakers broke with tradition to power through to their third consecutive NBL grand final series at the earliest opportunity with a comprehensive 99-88 elimination of the Sydney Kings today.

The back-to-back champions zeroed in on a third title - and rematch with last season's runner-up Perth - by ending the Kings first post-season campaign in five years at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

It is the first time the Breakers have not needed game three to advance from the semifinal stage - and offers valuable respite before resuming their rivalry with the Wildcats - a side cook-a-hoop after ending the Kiwis' 16-match winning streak in the final round of the regular season on March 22.

Comfortable 81-64 winners in the series-opener in Auckland on Thursday, the Breakers finally sparked in the third quarter before coasting down the stretch.

Accuracy from deep was initially a concern for the Breakers - the Kings had made 6 of 8 three-point attempts by the midway point; the Breakers only made 2 from 7.

But crucially the Breakers eventually activated their long-range radars in the third quarter - the key momentum shifter as the champions forged an impregnable double-digit lead.

Tom Abercrombie and CJ Bruton, who led the Breakers with 21 points, nailed quick-fire threes to mute an enthusiastic crowd of 4908.

Bruton's morale-boosting three was the catalyst for a typically dominant cameo from the veteran after Corey Webster also joined the three-point club.

The finals MVP for season 2011-12, Bruton extended the Breakers lead to five with another effortless three-pointer and then conjured up a crafty steal and lay-up to deflate a Kings side seeking just their second win over the Kiwis in 11 attempts since rejoining the league in 2010-11.

Webster closed out the quarter with his second three to give the Breakers a 10-point lead after outscoring their hosts 28-12.

The Breakers sprung out to an 18-point lead with 5:22 remaining and although the Kings dragged it back to 10 before the Breakers roused one final time.

In contrast to the Breakers dominant all-round performance in game one, the Kings hung tough as Ben Madgen and James Harvey proved hard to contain.

Neither side could gain traction in the opening quarter although the Kings finished with a flourish when Harvey landed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the hosts a 26-23 advantage.

 

The Breakers only shot 50 per cent from the stripe by quarter time and were denied a single free throw attempt before the main break.

Madgen, the MVP runner-up to the Breakers Cedric Jackson, was heavily marked but still showed his class while Harvey detonated another long bomb during an 8-0 run that produced a 10-point lead with 4:14 left in the second term.

Aaron Bruce was also on target from beyond the arc during the Kings mini-scoring spree and although the Breakers narrowed the margin to three, Madgen continued the trend of getting the crowd on their feet in the dying seconds with his first three-pointer.

Madgen provided a game-high 29 point haul for the Kings and Harvey weighed in with 25.

Although Bruton was the stand out for the Breakers, Alex Pledger also made a telling contribution as the favourites gained control - the big centre ended up with a worthy double of 18 points and a dozen rebounds.

NZ Breakers 99 (CJ Bruton 21, Alex Pledger 18, Tom Abercrombie 17) Sydney Kings 88 (Ben Madgen 29, James Harvey 25) Halftime: 45-39

Chris Barclay – Stuff.co.nz