With the scores tied and just 1.9 seconds remaining, a DJ Newbill inbound found Edgar Sosa in the left corner. He spun, rose, and fired - knocking down a turnaround three which gave the Breakers a 73-70 victory.
Sosa stood prone and soaked in the adulation as the Breakers bench spilled onto the court to mob their game-winning teammate.
There was just one problem. There was still time on the clock, and Cam Gliddon threw up a full-court prayer, which remarkably went in, sending the home crowd into raptures.
However, there was also a problem for Cairns. After Sosa's heroics, there was only 0.1 second left on the clock, and it is physically impossible to put up a "catch and shoot" shot attempt in less than 0.3 seconds.
As a result, Gliddon's shot was rightly waved off, but not after mass confusion, and mass celebrations from both sets of players.
When the chaos died down, it was confirmed - the Breakers had a victory; their first over Cairns in six games.
It is a victory that keeps them at the top of the table with a 6-1 record - remaining alongside Perth as the only teams to have lost just one game. It continues a trend of the past few years - for all the talk about parity in the league, the season consistently ends with either the Breakers or Wildcats raising the trophy.
It's too early to make such claims yet, especially after a game that could have easily gone either way.
Both teams came out firing, with the Taipans on fire from deep to start, including a (legal) buzzer-beater from over half-court by Jarrad Weeks, which gave the hosts a 25-21 lead after the first quarter.
The Breakers stayed in the contest thanks to a peculiar mix of offensive rebounding and three-point shooting. Kirk Penney was their key to the latter success, hitting all four of his three-point attempts in a 16 point display.
He was aided by Finn Delany's best game of the season as a high-octane first half quickly turned into a sludgy second period. Cairns import Michael Carrera's impressive outing was cut short when he fouled out in just 20 minutes of play, while Sosa lost his cool with Taipans big man Alex Loughton.
The two teams combined for just 53 second-half points before the final minute, which well made up for the dreary moments proceeding it.
A Newbill layup put the Breakers up by one with 16 seconds remaining, but Scoochie Smith responded for the Taipans, being fouled on an offensive rebound.
He hit the first free-throw, but missed the second, and then stepped out of bounds when corralling the resulting offensive rebound.
That left Sosa with just enough time - and Cairns with barely not enough - to seal a stunning victory.
Taipans 70 (M. Carrera 16, A. Loughton 13, S. Smith 12)
Breakers 73 (K. Penney 16, T. Abercrombie 12, F. Delany 11)
HT: 43-41
