Illawarra have steadied the home ship, edging past New Zealand 89-85 in Wollongong on Sunday.
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In what looked every bit a playoff grind, the Hawks trailed by as much as 12 and never led by more than two points until Will Hickey iced the game from the foul-line for a four-point lead with three seconds left.
All up, the Hawks led for less than five minutes throughout the contest, but found a way to be ahead when it counted.
Gary Clark was again monstrous for the Hawks, finishing with 29 points and eight rebounds despite being clearly still hampered by a niggling knee injury.
He also showed poise at the line late, going 3-4 to twice take the lead before Hickey followed up for the Hawks biggest lead of the game with three seconds on the clock.
Tyler Harvey had just two points at the half, but finished with 19 points four rebounds and an assist as he came up clutch down the stretch.
Staring down the barrel of an inexplicable three straight losses at home, the Hawks leapfrog New Zealand into sixth spot at 11-12 on the season and 9-5 under interim coach Justin Tatum.
"It was the type of game we expected from the Breakers," coach Tatum said.
"They're really talented, they're starting to get all their guys back together and gelling well. They're hungry too, just like we are trying to get in that hunt in the top six.
"The adversity that we fought through, missing 14 free throws, having 10 turnovers in the first half, just didn't look ourselves, and then find a way to win, it's a true testament to what this team can do.
"There's a lot of wrinkles that we've got to fix, but I'm happy with the outcome. We've got to find a way to do it and they found a way."
Knee injury can't slow Gary Clark
The Hawks have struggled at home, but Clark's relationship with Wollongong remains a love affair.
The knee injury he's carried since a double-overtime win over Tasmania three weeks ago has had a noticeable impact in the rebound column, it's done nothing to blunt his offensive punch.
He managed a monster 36 points in what was ultimately a one-point loss to Cairns in round 16 and was huge again on Sunday, notching 19 points in the first half.
He finished with 29 and eight boards, and proved ice-cold down the stretch from the line. The former NBA big-man said he's not using any niggles as an excuse.
"It's basketball, it's a part of it," Clark said.
"Everyone has nicks and things at this point of the year. I can talk about a million things that I feel, a million things that Sam (Froling) feels and go down the list, it's just about winning.
"Nobody talks about the injury, they talk about the win or the loss. At this point, it's just trying to find a will to win. We've come down to that moment a couple times this year.
"Coach has got us really grinding right now and just trying to get into that top six and we were just looking at each other and saying 'we're not going to fold here'.
"Whatever that meant, stops, rebounds, free throws, just step up to the plate and and execute."
Hawks finally find home comforts
One of the more curious aspects of Tatum's tenure has been the Hawks struggles at home.
They came into Sunday's clash having gone 5-2 on the road but just 3-3 on their own floor, one of those three wins a blowout of a drastically undermanned Phoenix three weeks' ago.
The Hawks have returned from New Zealand, Sydney, Tasmania and Perth with competition points. Barring an 18-point win over the Wildcats in December, the Hawks have barely resembled themselves as a road team at the Sandpit.
They came up empty from a home double in round 16, albeit by a single point on a final shot buzzer-beater against Cairns, but the follow-up defeat to Adelaide was arguably the most disappointing showing since Tatum took over.
If it wasn't, a touch-up at the hands of Tasmania at the WEC in round 12 was. With two of their last five games coming at home, it was an important trend to buck.
"It was huge," Clark said. "If you look at our team from the beginning to now, we've had spurts of success, and road wins, big home wins ... when are we gonna be that consistent dog team every night that, on the road or at home, we handle business?
"Tonight was one of those games where it was 'stop playing with your food, handle business'. Now everyone sees you as a contender and respects you, that's just one of those wins tonight."
Tyler Harvey proves closing touch as Robinson juggle continues
Harvey played less than eight minutes in the first half for just two points.
He exploded to start the third with eight points to cut the margin back to four, with Blanchfield chiming in with a transition three on a 14-4 run that forced Mody Maor into a timeout.
It was an important cameo, but it was again down the stretch when he came up trumps, with seven points in final five minutes.
Robinson had a well-publicised forgettable weekend on his two preceding outings in Wollongong, but the move to the second unit has seen him re-find his groove in the road win over Perth and again against the Breakers on Sunday.
"It was just other guys coming in and then we had to try to find an adjustment there because we put Tyler at the one now," Tatum said.
"New Zealand did a great job putting pressure on him and wearing him down, with Tyler still trying to do what he does well, which is scoring the ball.
"It wasn't working for us so we gave him a different look with J-Rob and we see that we can probably put both of them together, because we still needed Tyler to win this game.
Free throws remain a headache for Tatum
It's not the first time Tatum has bemoaned his side's effort from the stripe, with the Hawks again leaving far too many freebies out there.
The home side was 14-26 through three quarters, while the Breakers were a perfect 17-17 at three-quarter-time. They found some much-needed touch late, going 8-10 in the final term.
If you're missing free-throws, it helps to pull down 23 offensive rebounds as the Hawks did - for 27 second chance points - but Tatum said it's not something that can continue.
"I keep reminding our guys that we can't keep going at that pace," Tatum said.
"We lost a game by missing 12-plus free throws and we were blessed to win this missing 14 free throws. We just can't do that.
"We've got to find a way to individually figure that out on your own. When you're up there, you've got knock two down and give ourselves a chance to win the games.
"These guys need to take it upon them to more accountable. At the end of day 'Davo' (Hickey) hit the two most important free throws of the game and he's been inconsistent in the lineup.
"That shows the grit of this group, and how they really want to win. Anybody can step up at any time."
Olbrich cameo telling in the fourth quarter
The NBA Draft prospect had just two points and a single rebound through three quarters, but finished with a super-efficient nine points, four offensive rebounds and an assist in the first five minutes of the final term.
All told, he put the numbers up in less than 12 minutes on the floor, with the cameo crucial in the Hawks re-taking the lead.
"That's what we love about Lachy because he's always ready," Tatum said.
"If you give him one or two things to do, the third thing is that effort that is always going to be there. He was locked in.
"When Sam (Froling) had three fouls and he had to get out, Lachy brought a couple of offensive possessions that gave us life.
"We got 23 offensive boards and he was a big piece of that, so we're happy to have him on our team."
Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
