Wildcats 86
Breakers 80
A horror night from the free throw line has condemned the Breakers to a potentially damaging defeat against the Wildcats in Perth.
With the two teams turning on a typically tight display at a packed Perth Arena, the defending champions missed 13 shots from the charity stripe to essentially determine the contest.
While Perth (9-4) enjoyed an 87 per cent success rate from the line, the Breakers (7-5) could manage only 16-of-29 to allow Perth to ride a strong second half to what could prove a pivotal victory.
Not only does the Wildcats' win see them move clear of their rivals in second spot on the Australian NBL ladder, it also puts them in charge of a season series that will end on Wednesday night in Auckland. The Breakers will need to earn a victory at the North Shore Events Centre to seize the series, which will act as a tie-breaker if the two teams end the regular season locked level.
Which, based on current evidence, is a very real possibility. Aside from the performance from the stripe, there was little to separate the sides throughout the encounter, with a one-sided run from Perth to close the second quarter the only time one team escaped the other's grasp.
The Breakers, having come into the contest with the best defence in the competition, would have perhaps been disappointed with their efforts overall, given Perth made only one of 13 attempts from beyond the arc.
Corey Webster drained four triples on his own to again lead the Breakers with 23 points on 60 per cent shooting, while Cedric Jackson enjoyed a typically all-action outing to record 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Neither side began particularly well at the offensive end, with the Breakers barely heading to the first break with an edge that would have been greater had they looked after the ball a bit better. Perth were the first side to open a minor gap, going in front by a game-high six midway through the second as Corey Prather began to find form and the Breakers continued to turn over the ball too often.
And the Wildcats soon capitalised on their opponents' lack of care, embarking on a 16-5 run that eventually doubled as the decisive factor in the game. Perth kept control in the third and found success by consistently getting the ball to their bigs in the interior, while also making the most of a rare cold spell from Webster.
The hosts took a 13-point lead into the final period but Webster quickly warmed up to haul the Breakers back into the contest, nailing back-to-back threes to ensure his side retained a glimmer of hope.
But the visitors were never able to creep back within a possession and their free throw woes were encapsulated by a pair of misses from Jackson that all but sealed the result.
Wildcats 86 (Beal 19, Prather 18, Jawai 15)
Breakers 80 (Webster 23, Cedric Jackson 15, Charles Jackson 11)
HT: 44-33