Luckless Breakers Beaten in Overtime Heartbreaker by Defending Champions

It was the first time since 2005 that the NBL had held a game in Tasmania and what a spectacle it turned out to be on Tuesday night with the Sky Sport Breakers and Wildcats adding a new chapter to a rivalry that has seen the two clubs split 10 of the past 11 championships.

The Wildcats were coming off their nine-game winning streak ending in Adelaide on Saturday night and it looked as though for much of the night the Breakers were going to hand them consecutive losses.

New Zealand led 23-9 by quarter-time and still led by half-time with Tom Abercrombie doing a superb job limiting Bryce Cotton to five points and 1/6 shooting.

Cotton decided to turn driver with his shot falling and he helped Perth get on top, but still, with new Breakers arrivals William McDowell-White and Levi Randolph hitting big shots, New Zealand still looked on track.

In fact with 1.7 seconds to go. McDowell-White was at the line and hit the first free-throw to make it 71-69. He attempted to miss the second but it still banked in allowing Perth to call the timeout.

Despite Cotton having missed his previous 17 three-point attempts, he made a stunning leaning in three on the buzzer to force overtime. 

And in extra time, he sent the daggers into the Breakers as the Wildcats won 85-79 and despite not looking likely to hit a shot most of the night, Cotton was remarkable with 34 points still on 15/17 from the foul line. He went 9/22 from the floor and 1/7 from deep.

John Mooney had a night to forget too for Perth playing over 41 minutes for just three points and nine rebounds on 1/12 shooting. But Todd Blanchfield stepped up for 16 points and six rebounds, Mitch Norton 11 points and nine boards, and Jesse Wagstaff 10 points and five rebounds.

Cotton never doubted himself to hit the big shot even if the numbers had been stacking up against him.

"Yeah I guess given the circumstances, I definitely had a better and cleaner look on the first one. But fortunately McDowell-White made that free-throw to give us another chance," Cotton said.

"I was always just going to take whatever I felt was going to be a good look. I felt like I was wide open so I just took the shot." 

It will be a tough loss for the Breakers to swallow and once again Finn Delany was outstanding with 25 points and nine rebounds.

Tom Abercrombie reached his 350-game milestone and celebrated by passing Kirk Penney as the club's all-time three-point shot maker while delivering 10 points on top of his stifling defence on Cotton.

Corey Webster had 11 points and eight assists before fouling out for New Zealand while Rob Loe chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds, and Colton Iverson eight points and nine boards.

Breakers coach Dan Shamir couldn’t fault a lot of what his team did, but sometimes close games are decided by things you least expect.

"It's tough, we really wanted that win and we needed it and we are working hard. We are trying to do everything right and on top of that it was Tom's special night for game 350," Shamir said.

"It's another reminder of his great career but overall it was an intense game and we defended pretty well keeping Perth to 37 per cent from the floor. 

"We did the best we could over there and obviously mistakes happen, and we wanted to miss the last free-throw but it's a little bit tricky to miss it with it still touching the rim. It's not always easy and then Bryce Cotton made a crazy three, and here we are with the loss. 

"But we gave ourselves a chance to win and it's just one of those games where things are decided by small things that are always not planned. You've just got to live with it."

New Zealand made a good start at their new Tasmanian home away from home racing to a 12-4 advantage which turned into 23-9 by quarter-time with Rob Loe coming on for a quick six points.

But even with Bryce Cotton scoring five points for the first half on 1/6 shooting and with John Mooney scoreless, Perth fired back after New Zealand was up 29-13 early in the second. 

The Wildcats finished the half on a 19-4 run including two triples to Jesse Wagstaff and suddenly they had cut the deficit to one by half-time.

The 'Cats then assumed the lead to start the second half and with Cotton getting aggressive attacking the basket and forgetting his jumper, he scored nine third quarter points with Perth turning 52-49 up going into the fourth.

Cotton stayed aggressive and helped put Perth up 65-58 with four minutes left but then big New Zealand threes from Tom Abercrombie and Levi Randolph, and then two Corey Webster free-throws had it a one-point game again.

William McDowell-White made a huge layup to give the Breakers the lead before he then was at the line with under two seconds left. He put New Zealand up two and then three but he missed the second on accident.

It left the door open for Perth and Cotton walked through it with his first triple in 18 attempts to force overtime. And after the Breakers scored the opening five points, it was all Perth as they finished the game on a 13-2 run to take out the win with nine of those points coming at the stripe.

The Wildcats are back home to host the Illawarra Hawks on Friday while the Breakers will be hosting the Brisbane Bullets earlier that evening.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 13

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 79 (Delany 25, Webster 11, Loe 10, Abercrombie 10)

PERTH WILDCATS 85 (Cotton 31, Blanchfield 19, Norton 11) 

BOX SCORE