The NZ Breakers were cursing one that got away from them in Cairns last night as they missed a chance to go back to the top of the Australian NBL.

The defending Australian NBL champions were pipped 80-78 in a grand final rematch against the Taipans, later lamenting an exasperating finale where nothing seemed to go their way in the closing minutes.

"It was a little frustrating down the stretch," said assistant coach Dean Vickerman afterwards. "We put ourselves in a great position early in the fourth quarter.

"We had good energy and played a lot of the young kids and they did a good job."

But an 11-point New Zealand lead early in the final stanza was soon gobbled up as Cairns big man Alex Loughton and import Jamar Wilson came into their own as the game wound down.

Loughton drilled two quick three-pointers to put Cairns into the lead at 73-71, then Wilson rattled off three straight buckets off the dribble to put the Taipans up by four inside the final two minutes.

A big Thomas Abercrombie trifecta got the Breakers within one point with 44 seconds left, but with 13 second remaining a controversial offensive foul call on CJ Bruton, as the visitors looked to inbound the ball, effectively handed the game to the home team.

"There were a couple of massive calls down the stretch," said Vickerman, clearly frustrated but not willing to direct any criticism at the game officials.

Shooting guard Daryl Corletto did get up a late heave from deep that would have won the game, but when that went astray the Breakers had slumped to their second straight defeat, and to 5-3 on the standings.

The win lifts the Taipans to 4-4 for the new season and confirms New Zealand coach Andrej Lemanis' theory that this is the most even competition there has been in quite some while.

It was the second straight defeat for the Breakers at the venue they call The Snakepit, on the back of last season's double-overtime loss in the second game of the finals.

Springy forward Abercrombie led the way for the Breakers with 21 points (8/15 FG) including a deadly five-of-seven from deep. He also had eight points and a pair of assists.

Sharpshooter Corletto added 15 points, including three big triples, but could not make the bomb that counted right at the end. Imports Gary Wilkinson (11 points/5 rebounds) and Cedric Jackson (10 points/5 rebounds/4 assists) added handy contributions while Mika Vukona weighed in with 10 points, six boards and three assists. Jackson was limited to just under 20 minutes' court time by foul trouble throughout.

Veteran guard CJ Bruton, in his 100th game for the Kiwi club, had a horror night, missing all nine of his field-goal attempts and finishing with no points and that crucial late turnover among a trio of giveaways.

"He's been troubled a little bit by his knee, and didn't have the shooting night he would have wanted to," said Vickerman of Bruton's woes. He added the 35-year-old may need medical assessment to evaluate his readiness for Thursday's clash against Townsville at Vector.

Vickerman said there had been some major improvements in the Breakers' offensive efforts as they shot 43 percent for the game (30/70FG) and pounded the Taipans 40-24 on the boards. But a lop-sided foul count against them evened that dominance up.

Vickerman admitted it had been disappointing to allow the Taipans' big three to score so heavily, with Loughton's game-high 22 points backed up by a combined 41 points from imports Andrew Warren (21) and Wilson (20).

The game had been tied 40-40 at the major break, after the Breakers had led by as many as six in the first quarter and seven in the second.

But behind hot shooting by Warren (13pts) and Loughton (11pts), the Taipans would not go away and kept pace with last season's champions who were paced by Abercrombie's 13  first-half points and five boards.

The Taipans trailed by eight at the three-quarter mark but a 24-14 final quarter saw the North Queenslanders home to their confidence-boosting victory.

The Breakers will now face a short turnaround before hosting the Crocs on Thursday night at Vector. 

Cairns Taipans 80 (Alex Loughton 22, Andrew Warren 21, Jamar Wilson 20) NZ Breakers 78 (Thomas Abercrombie 21, Daryl Corletto 15, Gary Wilkinson 11, Mika Vukona 10, Cedric Jackson 10). 1Q: 19-22; HT: 40-40; 3Q: 56-64.

- Fairfax Media