Superstar Gary Ervin the hero with steal and basket to beat NZ 95-94 in NBL thriller Adelaide 36ers' Gary Ervin, left, is marked by New Zealand's Kerron Johnson. An Ervin steal gave the Sixers a miracle one-point win. Picture: Jason Oxenham. GARY Ervin on Friday night enhanced his reputation as a match-winner with another miracle as Adelaide beat reigning NBL champion New Zealand 95-94 on the superstar's heroics. The Breakers led by nine points with 3:47 left and still were ahead by three with 8.5 seconds as 350-gamer Daryl Corletto slotted two free throws. Playing smart basketball to prevent Adelaide pulling out a three-point basket, Breakers import Kerron Johnson fouled Ervin to put him to the free throw line where the best return he could get was two points. With 4.6 seconds left, Ervin, ice-water chilling in his veins, did just that, slotting both freebies for 93-94. New Zealand took time-out, advanced the ball into its frontcourt and only needed a safe pass and to hold the ball for a much-needed home win. But Ervin stole the ball and knew he had more than enough time to travel the floor and lay the ball in for a stunning victory. Auckland's Vector Arena was in shock as Ervin and the 36ers pulled out one of the club's great wins in a city where heart-breaking losses have been the norm. The dynamic playmaker finished with a game-high 26 points at 50 per cent, 7-of-7 free throws, six assists, three boards and, most importantly, three steals. Adelaide had fallen behind in a 27-16 third-quarter assault by the Breakers, the 36ers' decision-making, turnovers and fouls all taken advantage of by Tom Abercrombie in particular and also Johnson. Mika Vukona was also a monster for NZ, Ervin, who had 15 points at halftime kept scoreless and Daniel Johnson - 13 at the break - with just one tap-in. But some terrific efforts by Jarrid Frye, Anthony Petrie and Adam Gibson, and persistence by Johnson meant the Sixers were never fully out of it. Gibson tied it 87-87 with 1:23 left but Abercrombie's triple over a desperate Petrie seemed to assure a home win. From there, the Breakers maintained that buffer, fouling to keep Adelaide from getting up a potential three-pointer. But Ervin was "ice" at the stripe and came up with the match-winning play regardless. Having won in Auckland's North Shore Events Centre 96-93 last month, Adelaide was looking to emulate Melbourne in 2009, the Tigers the previous team to win twice in New Zealand in the same season. But with the game at Vector Arena this time, the Breakers were defending a 19-month winning streak in the venue and had 7470 fans roaring their every move. They started strongly too with key men Abercrombie and Vukona - who have struggled this season dealing with the tighter officiating - off to great starts. Vukona opened the match with a driving dunk before Abercrombie connected on consecutive three-point hoops. In between those shots, Vukona knocked a bouncing Frye shot off the rim, the Breakers definitely more focused than in their previous outing. But Ervin was inspirational with a super drive to the hoop which earnt him a bonus free throw, the 36ers then forcing an eight-second backcourt violation against the home team. Ervin's steal had Adelaide in front for the first time, Vukona and Abercrombie again pushing the Breakers ahead before Mitch Creek banked a triple for 20-18. Ahead 22-21 at the first break, the 36ers opened with a withering 9-2 run in the first two minutes of the second, Ervin and Petrie prominent. But from 31-23 ahead, the momentum shifted with Corey Webster's triple igniting a 12-0 outburst in which Alex Pledger and Kerron Johnson stood up, New Zealand ahead 35-31. It swung back with Frye scoring back-to-back buckets in an 8-0 response in a 14-2 run culminating with a Johnson slam dunk off an Ervin lob. Vukona stepped up again to push his personal stats to 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, eight boards and three assists by halftime. But an Ervin basket to close the half kept the 36ers ahead 50-46. ADELAIDE 36ERS 95 (Ervin 26, Johnson 20, Frye 12, Petrie 10) d NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 94 (Abercrombie 21, Vukona, Johnson 17, Pledger, Webster 11).