KEY POINTS:
Breakers 120 Tigers 111
CJ Bruton is one tough cookie.
The Australian veteran's silky passing skills and deadly shooting were well advertised when the Breakers snared their key off-season acquisition.
But last night as the club wiped out the defending champion Melbourne Tigers on the North Shore
it was Bruton's grit that was most on display.
The point guard lost a tooth to a stray elbow early in the first quarter but hardly missed a beat, playing the entire second half to lead the Breakers to what must rate as one of their finest wins.
With the game on the line in the final quarter, Bruton stood his ground against huge Tigers import Ron Grizzard and was smashed to the ground, drawing a crucial charging foul that proved a turning point in the contest.
Bruton's long-range shooting was also spot on, with 18 of his 23 points coming beyond the arc.
He wasn't alone in that regard, however, with Oscar Forman shooting seven of ten and Tony Ronaldson four from four as the Breakers sank the Tigers with a barrage of threes.
Neither team led by more than seven until the Breakers took control in the final quarter.
Boomers' giant Chris Anstey was a constant menace, scoring a game-high 32 points.
The Breakers spread the scoring, with Bruton, Ronaldson and Forman all having 23.
Kirk Penney had an off night, shooting just seven of 24 from the field, but still managed 20 points.
Bruton contributed the Breakers' first six points with a brace of three-pointers but struggled at the defensive end to contain larger opposite David Barlow.
The battle between the two got nasty midway through the quarter when Bruton copped a Barlow elbow to the mouth that resulted in fragments of his tooth being picked off the court by the officials.
As he was leaving to receive treatment, the furious Bruton reacted to something said by someone on the Melbourne bench and had to be dragged away by Penney.
With Bruton sidelined, the Breakers turned to Phill Jones to fill the point guard role and the tactic proved successful enough.
The Tigers led by as many as seven midway through the first quarter but the Breakers closed to within a point at quarter time and led by one at halftime.
A slow start to the third quarter saw the Breakers slip behind by six but Forman and Ronaldson exploded with a barrage of threes to turn the game the home side's way.
The victory takes the Breakers to 2-0 with three more home games to come before they make their first trip across the Tasman.
New Zealand Breakers 120 (CJ Bruton 23, Oscar Forman 23, Tony Ronaldson 23, Kirk Penney 20)
Melbourne Tigers 111 (Chris Anstey 32, Ebi Ere 21, David Barlow 17).
Halftime: 59-58.