It had all the intensity of a playoff match up and the last NBL game before a FIBA break has seen Melbourne United will themselves, with Jesse Edwards massive on the glass, to a 98-87 win over Perth.
It was a game at John Cain Arena on Sunday where neither side could open a double-figure advantage until Melbourne's final 11-point winning margin, but the extra possessions created by Edwards' eight offensive rebounds, in United's 19-9 dominance, was crucial.
While Wildcats coach John Rillie acknowledged United deserved the win after dominating the possession game, there was a late pivotal moment he struggled to get his head around.
Rillie was seething when the shot clock was reset when it shouldn't have been. It gave Melbourne an extra four seconds and that play ended with another Edwards offensive rebound and Kyle Bowen bucket to stretch their lead to four.
"That's all you ask for is a chance and then it's a two-point game with 1:41 to go, and you compete and practice, and all you want to do is have a chance to win," he said.
"I read the FIBA rules and you can't step over the baseline to reset the count and that was a really crucial play, and it's happened the last two times I've been in this building.
"It would be nice to get a call go our way at some stage."
It was the first meeting of NBL26 for two teams who played in a dramatic playoff series last season and both were coming off Friday victories, with Perth winning at home over Tasmania and Melbourne at Illawarra.
Melbourne completed an early 8-0 run to lead 14-6.
That was 24-22 by quarter-time and 51-47 at the half, even with captain Chris Goulding missing all seven three-point attempts.
It continued to be a physical and tense battle with United back out to a six-point lead with 4:35 to play when Goulding made his first triple of the game after missing his first eight tries.
Perth wouldn't go away, but it was a huge three from Tyson Walker with 27.5 seconds left that pushed the hosts to a seven-point lead and they went on to break clear in top spot at 13-2.
Melbourne took 20 extra field goal attempts, but the Wildcats took 30 foul shots to 20.
Milton Doyle produced 24 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals in the win, with his four threes making him the only player to hit multiple outside shots.
Walker also had 23 points and seven assists despite an ankle complaint, with Edwards finishing with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
United coach Dean Vickerman pointed to the possession game as crucial in the result.
"The possession game was huge, there were low turnovers for us (six), high offensive rebounds (19) and if we could have made some threes (9-of-35), we could have punched it out," he said.
"Then I was really pleased with the way we defended them in the fourth to close it out."
Perth are 8-6 following the loss in which Jo Lual-Acuil tallied 19 points in his first game against his former club. Kristian Doolittle top-scored with 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
