NZ Breakers have held on by the skin of their teeth, sealing a vital 85-83 victory over Adelaide 36ers in an ANBL thriller.
In the final seconds, the Breakers' hearts were in their mouths, as Adelaide's Ian Clark attempted a three-pointer that would have seen his side take the victory.
But as his effort was wayward and Derek Pardon snapped up the vital rebound to ensure the Breakers held on for their 13th victory of the season, more than half of which have come on the road.
For the Breakers, Barry Brown Jr led the scoring with 16 points, while Jarrell Brantley (15), Izayah Le'Afa (13), Derek Pardon (10) and William McDowell-White (10) all scored in double figures.
McDowell-White also added seven assists and five rebounds towards the Breakers tally, as part of a vital contribution to the win.
A double-double from Adelaide's Robert Franks was ultimately in vain, with a game-high 20 points and 13 rebounds. Antonius Cleveland (18 points), Clark (16) and Kai Sotto (16) also stood out for the 36ers.
The win keeps the Breakers second in the ANBL standings, behind champion Sydney Kings' 15 wins from 20 games, but they have a game in hand and can close that gap, when they travel to Perth to face the Wildcats on Tuesday night.
NZ Breakers 85 (Brown Jr 16, Brantley 15, Le'Afa 13, Pardon 10, McDowell-White 10) Adelaide 36ers 83 (Franks 20, Cleveland 18, Clark 16, Sotto 16)
