The New Zealand Breakers say the lessons from last year's failed Australian National Basketball League campaign helped lift them to their latest championship win, Radio New Zealand reports.
The Breakers won their fourth ANBL title in five years in thrilling fashion after beating the Cairns Taipans 83-81 in Auckland with the final shot of the game.
The Breakers forward Ekene Ibekwe sunk a miracle shot on the fulltime buzzer and the coach Dean Vickerman says he couldn't have scripted such a dramatic finish.
Ibekwe said he's never made a match winning shot of that magnitude before.
"No not like that, haha not like that, it [the play] was drawn up for me to go to the basket but I felt more comfortable fading away."
In Vickerman's first season as head coach, the Breakers missed the playoffs after having won the previous three titles.
Their bounce back was completed yesterday and the assistant coach, Paul Henare, says it's nice to make amends after a poor first season as part of the coaching team.
The Breakers guard Cedric Jackson was named the grand finals MVP.