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Melbourne Tigers have confirmed their NBL title credentials with a superb lockdown effort on the free-scoring previously unbeaten NZ Breakers.
The Tigers (2-1) rebounded from last weeks away loss to Perth, keeping NZ (3-1) to below 98 points for the first time this season.
Perth (3-0) are the only unbeaten team following their 93-85 away win over Townsville (1-2).
Gold Coast and Sydney each scored their first win of the campaign and both did it on the road.
Coming off two home losses, Gold Coast (1-2) scored a crushing 83-58 win at Wollongong.
Sydney bounced back from their biggest ever home loss last week against New Zealand to inflict a 94-71 defeat on Adelaide (0-3), the only winless team in the competition.
With Melbourne shooting just 19 per cent from three-point range and 39 per cent overall, their win over the high-scoring Breakers was down to defence.
“We’re still getting there, we’re a young group that’s been together for three games,” Melbourne coach Trevor Gleeson told AAP.
“We’re still trying to find that offensive chemistry and that’s going to be a work in progress.”
NBA guard Patty Mills scored the Tigers last five points from free throws in the final minute, as they broke a 62-62 deadlock after the Breakers fought back from seven points down.
Mills topscored with 19 and Gleeson is hardly upset there seems to be no imminent end to the NBA lockout.
“We know that time will come, but we’re just trying to be the best that we can be while Patty is here,” Gleeson said.
Early season clashes with Perth and New Zealand have convinced Gleeson those teams deserve their pre-season of title favourites.
NZ coach Andrej Lemanis said it was amazing his team had a chance to win given they never got into a rhythm.
Gold Coast had six double digit scorers in their win, with Chris Goulding leading the way with 16 points.
“That kind of attack makes it real tough on the opposing coach to come up with a defensive game plan, because he cant really target one person,” Gold Coast coach Joey Wright told AAP.
Blaze captain James Harvey was scoreless in 14 minutes in his season debut after recovering from a broken hand.
Wright is hoping the Blaze will have a full strength team for the first time since the 09-10 season, providing Dominican guard Adris Deleon is cleared to play Townsville next Saturday.
In-form guard Kevin Lisch scored 28 for Perth, as they held on after the Crocs slashed a 23-point halftime deficit to just four inside the last three minutes.
Sydney centre Julian Khazzouh racked up 26 points and 13 rebounds in their win over Adelaide, whose captain Adam Ballinger notched eight points and seven boards in his first game of the season back from ankle surgery.
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