Jordon Crawford has nailed 30 points to lead the Tasmania JackJumpers to a crushing 97-80 NBL win over the NZ Breakers in Auckland.
The Breakers were left to rue a woeful second quarter in Saturday's match in which they were restricted to just eight points.
NZ were unable to overcome the 17-point halftime margin, with Crawford nailing two consecutive three-pointers during the third term to kill off the home side's challenge.
Crawford finished with six triples for the match, while Jack McVeigh was also crucial with 20 points and seven rebounds.
Majok Deng (14 points) and Will Magnay (12 points, 12 rebounds) added great energy off the bench for Tasmania.
The JackJumpers won the rebound battle 60-34, including a whopping 25-6 advantage at the offensive end.
The Breakers were well served by import Parker Jackson-Cartwright (25 points, six assists), while Anthony Lamb overcame early foul trouble to post 15 points and nine rebounds.
Crawford's display was all the more important given the JackJumpers were without import Milton Doyle, who flew back to the US to attend his father's funeral.
"Condolences to Milton. He's my guy," Crawford told Sky Sports.
"My teammates told me to be aggressive all week. They said whatever happens, we're going to have your back and we're going to ride with you.
"Kudos to them, they just trusted me and had confidence in me."
The opening term was a head-to-head scoring showdown between Crawford and Jackson-Cartwright.
Crawford scored 16 points for the quarter, while Jackson-Cartwright returned serve with 13 to inspire a 15-3 run for the Breakers after a slow start.
The highlight of the quarter belonged to JackJumpers captain Mcveigh, who nailed a buzzer-beater from three-quarter court to give his side a 26-24 lead at the first break.
The JackJumpers busted the game wide open in early the second term with a 15-0 run, restricting NZ to just eight points for the quarter.
The dominant defensive display gave the visitors a 49-32 lead at halftime.
The JackJumpers dominated the rebound count 33-18 in the first half, including a 13-2 edge in offensive boards.
The second half was an even battle, with the JackJumpers finding the answer every time the Breakers challenged.
Crawford added the icing on the cake with an off-balance three-pointer in the dying moments of the match, with the American eyeing off the Breakers bench straight after to show them who was boss.
The result improved second-placed Tasmania's record to 9-5, while the Breakers are equal last at 4-9.
