NZ Breakers have overcome the halftime ejection of coach Mody Maor to secure a crucial 96-83 win against Adelaide 36ers in Christchurch on Thursday.
Maor took exception to a fourth foul call on captain Tom Abercrombie, marching angrily towards and yelling at officials as the second quarter ended.
He paid the price for venting his frustrations, hit with back-to-back technical fouls and tossed from the game.
Assistant Daniel Sokolovsky took charge and eventually helped the hosts clinch some much-needed competition points on a night when the sputtering Breakers offence kicked into gear.
Speaking after the game, Maor was adamant his expulsion was undeserved but expressed pride in the way his team rallied in his absence.
"There's a way things are done in professional basketball," said Maor. "Two technical fouls in a 40 second span at halftime is not the way basketball games are reffed.
"I probably deserved one technical foul.... ejecting me over a conversation at halftime – I didn't curse or anything like this, in my opinion, is completely against everything and it wasn't warranted.
"At the same time, I'm really proud of my players. I'm really proud of my coaching staff for responding the right way, playing the right way, facing adversity and overcoming it.
"I think this is a great step for us."
Looking rejuvenated after a fortnight off due to FIBA's international window, the Breakers exploded out of the gates with a monster 37-point first quarter, making 5/7 threes, to take an early 21-point lead.
The visitors reduced that deficit to as little as eight points by the third quarter.
But Breakers guards Izayah Le'afa and Parker Jackson-Cartwright helped ensured the 36ers remained through the final stanza to earn the Breakers their fourth victory of a difficult season to date.
The Breakers finished with a scorching 56 percent success rate from the field, which included 15/32 from distance.
Import Jackson-Cartwright was the stand-out for the Breakers, posting an impressive all-round line of 21 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and three steals.
Compatriot Anthony Lamb led the scoring with 24 points on an efficient 9/15 shooting, alongside six rebounds and six assists.
Le'afa contributed 21 points off the bench, shooting a red-hot 7/11 from three-point range.
The result lifts the Breakers a point clear of last-placed Illawarra Hawks. They'll travel to Melbourne to face the Phoenix on Saturday.
NZ Breakers 96 (Lamb 24, Jackson-Cartwright 21, Le'Afa 21) Adelaide 36ers 83 (Vasiljevic 14, McCarron 11, Dech 10)
