It's do-or-die.

Defence wins championships.

A champion team will beat a team of champions.

The phrases might be tired, but the Nelson Giants aren't as they prepare for their home quarterfinal in the national basketball league tomorrow.

The Fico Finance Giants righted their rudderless vessel with a storming win over Southland on Friday and, with other results going their way, they finished third in the round-robin phase in the Bartercard NBL, good enough to host a home playoff match. Their opponents will again be the Southland Sharks, who clambered into sixth spot in their debut season with a strong win over Manawatu on Saturday.

While familiarity can breed contempt, the Giants are showing their next – and most recent – opposition due respect.

"I hear they are training twice a day to be ready for this," said forward Mika Vukona, Nelson's leading scorer and rebounder in Friday's win.

"It's a huge game for them as a new team in the league, their first playoff game in their first season, so they will give us everything they have."

Nelson have a core of seasoned NBL veterans and will realise that finding the mental edge is as important at this point in the season as perfect passing and the correct cuts.

"Friday's win was mostly down to entering the game with the right mindset," Giants coach Chris Tupu said.

"The focus was on being more urgent at the defensive end and on playing team basketball. You can't underplay the value of the team at this stage of the season."

Nelson had been guilty of relying on individuals in two losses before Friday's turnaround. Tupu said his role was to make sure that style of play didn't re-emerge.

"There's huge value in getting contributions from everybody, right across the board," he said. "At this stage of the year, teams who understand the value of `team' will be successful."

Southland have weapons. Mike Helms had 21 first-half points against the Giants, Rene Rougeau had a tough night on Friday but shrugged that off with 25 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots against the Manawatu Jets and Arthur Trousdell is capable of double figures in points and rebounds every outing.

"One guy won't beat us," Vukona said. "Even if one player gets a big score, we have to make sure that we quieten everyone else down.

"The Giants' strength is our ability to get contributions from five or six or seven guys and that's much harder to control."

Vukona, who is Nelson's emotional touchstone with his blood and guts approach to basketball has no doubt the focus will be there tomorrow.

"You can talk 'til the cows come home about what you intend to do but you have to back it up," he said.

"A couple of weeks back we were guilty of talking, then not following through with the effort, but this is playoff time now.

"As a professional player, you live for these times and there's always another level in there if you are willing to bring it out."

The Giants will need as many pieces in place as they can assemble. While Darryl Jones only managed six minutes on Friday with a sore hamstring, Tupu has faith in Sam Dempster, who turned 20 yesterday, to bring energy and a great work ethic off the bench, while there might also be an opportunity for the unflappable Ben Wright to see court time in the guard rotation.

Jones has been a spectacularly successful sixth man for the Giants in the past two seasons but coach Tupu will also be looking to the grandstands for that extra edge tomorrow.

"We know it's an advantage and the guys take energy from the crowd. I'm sure the people of Nelson will come along again and help us out in that way," Tupu said.

"We found the Southland crowd pretty vocal and passionate when we were down there and it gave their guys a lift but I wouldn't swap the Nelson crowd for anything."

National basketball league quarterfinals, Fico Finance Nelson Giants versus Zero Fees Southland Sharks, 7pm tomorrow, Trafalgar Centre. Live coverage on SKY Sport.