Former NZ Breakers star Corey Webster has returned to haunt his old side, leading Perth Wildcats to a 92-84 victory that broke a five-match winning streak for the ANBL tabletoppers.
Webster scored 26 points to go with five rebounds and four assists, after Breakers social media posted an unflattering meme comparing the three-time championship winner with a pussycat.
Breakers players responded in disgust at the taunts and after the game, coach Mody Maor apologised for the ill-advised slight.
"Professional sports is a dynamic field, where everything comes fast,” he said. "We have a new team, in every aspect we’re rebuilding, and sometimes when you need to do things fast and aggressive, you make mistakes.
"Everybody makes mistakes - I make mistakes, players make mistakes. This was a mistake, because the goal was not to insult anyone - it was a joke.
"Somebody went for a high-flying joke and it fell flat. We, as a playing group, as a coaching staff, as an organisation respect Corey a lot.
"We respect everything he did in a Breakers jersey, we respect everything he’s done in the Tall Blacks jersey and we respect him as a player now. I apologise for the mistake and we move on."
After taking a 47-43 lead into halftime, a third-quarter collapse was enough to condemn the Breakers to defeat - their fourth of the season.
In a ferocious effort, the visitors outscored the Breakers 30-19 in the third quarter and the deficit proved too great to overcome.
A 19-18 final quarter to the Wildcats sealed the Breakers' fate, as the league leaders were felled by seventh-placed Perth.
Brady Manek (18 points, six rebounds) and Bryce Cotton (17 points, seven assists, six rebounds) proved valuable support for Webster, who had the last laugh after a social media taunt from the Breakers in the build-up to the game.
For the Auckland side, Barry Brown Jr continued his impressive form with a game-high 27 points but his teammates struggled to give him the same support that Perth gave Webster.
A double-double from Dererk Pardon (14 rebounds, 13 points) aside, only Tom Abercrombie (10 points) scored in double figures for the home side.
Despite defeat though, the Breakers still sit top of the table - boasting a superior win percentage (73.3) than second-placed Sydney Kings (72.73).
However, the Breakers have played more games than the Kings, 15 to 11, giving Sydney the chance to leapfrog them into the top spot.
Coincidentally, the Breakers will face the Kings at Spark Arena on Thursday night for the chance to bounce back with a win,
But the Kings could arrive in Auckland as league leaders, with a game against Adelaide 36ers later on Sunday for the chance to overtake the Breakers before Thursday.
NZ Breakers 84 (Brown Jr 27, Pardon 13, Abercrombie 10) Perth Wildcats 92 (Webster 26, Manek 18, Cotton 17).
