The Perth Wildcats pipped the Breakers in front of a home crowd in Perth early this morning, winning the first final match, 82 – 76.
The most crucial part in the match was in the final 90 seconds of the match, where Wildcats captain Damian Martin defended Breaker's Cedric Jackson in his own defensive half, causing a time violation.
Martin then scored, extending his team's lead and eventually winning by five points.
Perth led for most of the match but the Breakers briefly took the lead in the third quarter. The Wildcats kept calm and clawed back to lead in the final quarter.
The Breakers may have won four of the last five NBL titles but will need to win the second match to force the final series into a third and final match showdown.
The only home game for the series has already sold out, with an expected 4100 spectators guaranteed for tomorrow night’s match against Perth at the North Shore Events Centre.