The Illawarra Hawks piled on 69 points in the first half to set up the eventual eight-point win over the NZ Breakers.
It was the ultimate clash of game styles and the up-tempo Australian National Basketball League (ANBL)-leading Hawks ran riot to set up the eventual 108-100 victory at home on Saturday night.
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The Breakers are right in the middle of a gruelling schedule, are doing it without suspended point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Mojave King, and the Hawks took full advantage at the WIN Entertainment Centre, especially in the first half.
Illawarra had hit back from consecutive losses to beat the Tasmania JackJumpers on Tuesday, while the Breakers had lost 10 of the last 11, including the last two already in the past week to Perth and Brisbane.
Illawarra put up 35 points in the first quarter and 34 in the second to already be leading 69-48 at halftime, on the back of shooting 62 percent from the floor and 20 points off the 11 New Zealand turnovers.
The Breakers showed signs of fight in the second half, including Sam Mennenga producing 12 third-quarter points, and Matt Mooney 15 in the fourth on his way to a game-high 33, to outscore the Hawks 52-39.
Illawarra still won by eight to improve to 15-7 to remain clear in top spot with 88 field goals to 62 from New Zealand for the game with 29 points off turnovers, and 27 second chance points on 20 offensive rebounds.
Trey Kell III delivered 31 points with Darius Days finishing with 22 points and six rebounds, Tyler Harvey 19 points, and Davo Hickey 11 points.
Aside from 15 turnovers, it wasn’t a bad offensive performance from the Breakers who shot the ball at 56 percent with 13-of-31 from three, but they lost the rebound battle by 12, had only four offensive rebounds and ended up attempting 26 fewer field goals.
Mooney had a tremendous game staying out of foul trouble with 33 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals on 7-of-13 shooting from three.
Mennenga also ended up with 24 points, four rebounds and two assists with Next Star Karim Lopez contributing 16 points, three rebounds and two steals, and Jonah Bolden 11 points. Tacko Fall struggled for just five points and five rebounds in 14:30.
"First half, we didn't show up; no energy, no effort," Breakers coach Petteri Koponen said.
"Second-chance points and turnovers ... half their points came from there.
"We didn't do our job on those tonight, but second half much better effort."
The Hawks set the tone right from the outset with Mason Peatling scoring going to the rack and then Wani Swaka Lo Buluk hitting from the outside, but the Breakers did answer with seven of the next nine points.
It was still a tied ball game midway through the first quarter but Illawarra then put up nine straight points and ended up scoring 17 points in the last three minutes with Darius Days going into quarter-time with 14 to his name.
The Hawks were leading 35-28 and while the Breakers were scoring enough themselves, they could do nothing about the home team piling on the points and it was Trey Kell III who took over the second frame.
In the space of three and-a-half minutes, Illawarra had scored 17 points with Kell delivering 13 of them and suddenly it was a 17-point ball game.
The Hawks were just warming up too with another 9-0 scoring run pushing the lead out to 24 before the Breakers stemmed the tide with three-balls from Mennenga and Mooney.
Mooney did end up with 16 points at the break and the Breakers did manage 48 points, but the Hawks were unstoppable with 69 to their name including 24 to Kell and 16 to Days on the back of shooting 62 percent to the Breakers' 60 but taking an extra 15 field goals.
Mennenga tried his darndest to will the Breakers back into the contest when he scored 12 points in the first six minutes of the third quarter including a monstrous one-handed dunk and a pair of three-pointers.
Illawarra continued to have all the answers and Harvey and Days combined for five three-pointers to keep the home team's lead at 18 by three-quarter time.
The Breakers kept on fighting the game out and Mooney put up 15 points in the fourth quarter to cut the final margin to just eight.
Both teams have quick turnarounds to taking part in a double-header on Monday, with the Breakers first up in New Plymouth against Melbourne United before the Hawks are in Adelaide against the 36ers.
Illawarra Hawks 108 (Trey Kell III 31, Darius Days 22, Tyler Harvey 19, Davo Hickey 11)
NZ Breakers 100 (Matt Mooney 33, Sam Mennenga 24, Karim Lopez 16, Jonah Bolden 11). 1Q: 35-28, HT: 69-48, 3Q: 88-70