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Kirk Penney vents his frustration - Source: Photosport -
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The Breakers, looking to get back to winning ways in the ANBL, could be without star guard Kirk Penney for their home match against Melbourne on Thursday night.
The Breakers' top scorer pulled up with a back injury in training on Thursday and coach Andrej Lemanis is not optimistic about the player's prospects of taking the court.
"Kirk's unlikely to play," he said, adding that he was unsure how long Penney might be sidelined.
While Penney's absence would be a disappointment, Lemanis said injury was something all teams had to deal with.
"It doesn't change what we have to do as far as getting back to the fundamentals of executing and doing the little things right," he said.
"From that point of view, everything remains the same. It's just who does it."
After a dominant first-up win over Cairns in Auckland, the Breakers slumped to defeats on the road to Melbourne and Adelaide.
The earlier of those two losses was also their fifth in succession against the Tigers, who eliminated them from the playoffs at the semifinals stage last season.
Lemanis said the Breakers' attack was the area causing most concern and had been a focus of preparations this week.
"It's mostly the offensive end that we've been struggling with at the moment," he said.
"If we get back to the basics there and not take short cuts, and do all the hard things we need to go, we can get into a position to do well."
Lemanis also said effort and attention to detail were needed to improved the defensive transition.
The match will mark a personal milestone for American import Rick Rickert, who will make his 50th appearance for the Breakers.
"It's pretty cool," Rickert said.
"To bring up 50 games is a nice personal milestone but for me it is all about the club and the group chasing the same goals."
Rickert, 26, is in his third season with the club, his first having been blighted by a serious back injury.
"I came here to win and go for a championship, which is still the goal," he said.
"We have been building towards that and making improvements each year."
Despite other more lucrative offers, Rickert chose to stay with the Breakers this season, with a view to settling in New Zealand with his wife and baby daughter.
