The New Zealand Breakers engineered a 23-point turnaround to down competition leaders Perth Wildcats 77-66 in a top-of-the-table National Basketball League clash in Auckland on Thursday.
Sitting in second place going into the match, the Breakers' win edged them above Perth to sit at the top of the ladder with nine wins from 12 matches.
Coming off last week's 69-82 loss to the Sydney Kings, the Breakers took two quarters to lurch into life.
Perth looked in complete control as they eased out to lead 19-13 at the end of the first quarter and a 44-32 margin at halftime.
But the Breakers stormed back in the third quarter, steaming into the match with a 14-2 scoring streak and hitting the front for the first time in the match with less than three minutes before the final break.
Ekene Ibekwe nailed one of two free throws to give the Breakers a 49-48 lead, then a Corey Webster three-pointer extended the lead as the Kiwis went into the three-quarter break with a 54-52 lead.
The Breakers' accuracy from beyond the three-point line continued in the final stanza, Rhys Carter and Webster nailing back-to-back treys to extend the lead further as the home team bolted out to a 10-point lead with less than seven minutes remaining.
But the Wildcats would not lie down, working their way back into the game with a couple of Shawn Redhage steals and a Jermaine Beal three-pointer.
However, missed free throws and turnovers cost them in the closing minutes, and the Breakers restored their 10-point lead with just over a minute remaining to put the game beyond doubt.
Ebekwe top-scored for the Breakers with 18, with Cedric Jackson's 15 points and seven rebounds providing invaluable back-up. Corey Webster (14) and Alex Pledger (13) also chipped in with strong second-half performances.
For the Wildcats, Redhage led all scorers with 19 points, backed up by Deandre Daniels on 16.
Daniels was also strong on the boards with nine rebounds, bettered only by Matthew Knight's 10.
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