BOXSCORE

The Master – veteran guard CJ Bruton – produced another piece of playoff magic, willing the New Zealand Breakers to a 104-98 overtime win over the Perth Wildcats at a sold-out Vector Arena.

Bruton slotted a go-ahead three-pointer with 1m 21s left in the extra period, consolidating that with a lay-up in traffic and then drawing a crucial charging foul at the other end.

American Cedric Jackson led the Breakers with 25 points with Bruton contributing 20, including five three-pointers.

Import Kevin Lisch, the league’s leading scorer, had 27 points for the Wildcats.

Star Breakers forward Tom Abercrombie dressed and warmed up, but never entered the game.

Perth immediately took advantage with Cameron Tovey hitting a mid-range jumper over replacement Leon Henry for the game’s first points.

New Zealand appeared flat and rapidly conceded a double-digit deficit before finally responding with a driving layup from Jackson.

A second Redhage trey stretched the margin to 12 points, but a long-distance barrage from Gary Wilkinson, Daryl Corletto and Bruton finally had the hosts rolling.

After Bruton and Corletto added a second three each, the Breakers had ridden a 20-2 wave to a 28-24 quarter-time lead.

Corletto added a third bomb soon after the restart and when Dillon Boucher converted a simple lay-in, the titleholders had the double-digit buffer.

Jackson joined the party from the perimeter and they had compiled another 18-5 run that had them cruising 50-35 at half-time.

Both teams were shooting over 50 per cent from the floor, but the Breakers’ 6-of-11, and Lisch being held to five points were the biggest difference.

Perth cahrged ferociously as the contest resumed, and when Jesse Wagstaff slotted a three midway through the period scores were locked at 52-52.

New Zealand had a two-point lead at the last break, but Lisch sparked a nine-point run that put Perth in the driver’s seat.

Jackson got the Breakers within a point with 1min 34sec on the clock and levelled with a free throw a minute later.

Neither team could break that deadlock, so they headed to overtime, where Bruton proved the difference.

Both teams have a week to regroup before meeting again in Perth next Friday.

New Zealand Breakers 104 (Jackson 25, Bruton 20, Corletto 16, Vukona 14, Wilkinson 12)
Perth Wildcats 98 (Lisch 27, Knight 17, Redhage 15, Nevill 13, Wagstaff 12)