The game swung back and forth for 37 of the 40 minutes, with leads changing hands and fans given whiplash from following the fast-paced action. Then, as the clock began to tick down, the Breakers finally took control.
Their winning run, naturally, was kick-started by Corey Webster, who drained a trio triples in little more than a minute. And, along with Webster, coach Dean Vickerman credited backcourt mate Cedric Jackson for taking charge at the key moment.
"We put the ball in Ced's hands," Vickerman said. "He made unbelievable decisions in that fourth quarter to get people open looks. Then Corey came out and made three threes in a row...and that got us the margin we needed."
Webster's late flurry, part of 20 invaluable points, came while encountering the tightest coverage he has faced this campaign. Jackson, meanwhile, dished out 13 assists in an influential display of ball-handling, chiming in with 11 points to record a double-double.
That effort was equalled by fellow import Charles Jackson, who limited his foul problems to grab 21 points and 10 rebounds in his best performance for the Breakers. But the key contribution, especially in the absence of injured skipper Mika Vukona, came from Tai Wesley. Following up his offensive explosion in last week's win over Cairns, the big man matched his personal-best of 26 points and pulled down eight boards in a fine all-round display.
"He played a lot more minutes tonight," Vickerman said, "And he did a great job getting his post catches, but also his rebounding and screening in the fourth quarter."
It all added up to the ultimate team win, with almost every Breaker needing to be near their best to see off an Adelaide side who thumped the champs in round one and began with every intention of doing the same.
Wesley had 11 in the opening quarter to help the Breakers rein in their red-hot opponents, who took the slimmest of advantages into the major break. Led by lightning quick point guard Jerome Randle, the 36ers retained their one-point lead in a half that saw the lead change hands 12 times.
It was a trend that continued in the third, with a last-second triple from Randle seeing the visitors ahead by three heading into the fourth, before Webster's deep ball sparked his side to a well-deserved win.
Breakers 98 (Tai Wesley 26, Charles Jackson 21, Corey Webster 20)
36ers 88 (Daniel Johnson 20, Lucas Walker 14, Jerome Randle 12)
HT: 48-49
