The New Zealand Breakers have snapped a two-game losing streak with a come-from-behind 79-74 home win over the defending Australian National Basketball League champions, the Melbourne Tigers.
They seemed to be badly missing the injured guard Kirk Penney and trailed by nine points at half-time and by 14-point deficit midway through the third quarter at the North Shore Events Centre,
But they charged home on the back of improved defence and the inspirational point guard CJ Bruton's game-high 32 points.
The deficit was just two going into the final stretch and Bruton's five from nine from the three point line included two big threes early in the fourth quarter to take the lead.
Good defence kept the Tigers to just 20 as the home side overhauled Melbourne with a big 27-point last quarter to go two and two for the season.
Big centre Rick Rickert dominated under the hoop with 16 points in his 50th game for the Breakers while Oscar Forman notched nine.
