The Breakers\' composure from the free throw line in the dying stages of regulation and overtime proved pivotal as they closed out the game.

In a dramatic conclusion to normal time, Mika Vukona and Kirk Penney netted from the foul line to give the Breakers a 85-82 lead only for Singapore\'s go-to guy Mike Helms to send to game into overtime with a cool three-pointer with 7.4 seconds remaining.

Needing a basket on the final play Phill Jones hit the target but match officials ruled the fulltime buzzer had already sounded before the ball bounced in off the rim.

An Oscar Forman three-pointer restored the Breakers\' buffer one minute into overtime before Helms turned from hero to villian by missing three consecutive foul shots.

In contrast, Paul Henare, Penney and Paora Winitana held their nerve from the stripe to improve the Breakers\' record to five wins and five losses.

Earlier, Penney unleashed a withering final quarter salvo to keep the Breakers alive when it appeared they were about to defy the form line a second time.

Penney nailed a clutch three-pointer and successive layups to stall the Slingers fourth period surge instigated by Rod Grizzard.

Vukona then drew a crucial foul after stealing possession to break an 82-82 deadlock to ignite a contest that was initially highlighted by poor shooting from both sides.

Before their stirring finish, the Breakers had again made life difficult for themselves against a team the points ladder suggested they should put away with comparative ease.

A scoreboard malfunction with 40sec remaining in the opening quarter prompted a 9min delay, with the electronics not the only apparatus on the blink in a stop-start encounter.

The Breakers, who made just 35 per cent of their attempts during last weekend\'s 17-point loss to Adelaide, showed little sign of improvement as they were out scored 21-8 during the back end of an unsatisfactory first period.

Singapore were hardly lighting up the board themselves and were fortunate the home side seemed determined not to capitalise on a wealth of turnover ball during an elongated 15min period.

Easy layups bounced harmlessly off the glass while the Breakers accuracy from the foul stripe - a mere 66 per cent - could not compensate for an abysmal 29.3 per cent success rate from the field.

Penney, who notched a game-high 30 points, at least showed a semblance of his class from the outset, contributing 15 to trim the Slingers\' margin to 39-45 at the main break.

American point guard Wayne Turner also injected some scoring impetus alongside Penney, who more than atoned for his substandard three-from-14 return against Adelaide.

Rod Grizzard and fellow American Helms predictably led the way for the Slingers with 25 and 22-point hauls respectively.

The Slingers headed down the stretch with a 62-59 advantage and when Grizzard nailed an early three over Vukona it had looked ominous for the Breakers.