The Brisbane Bullets can reflect on delivering an NBL performance full of heart as they piled more pressure on the Perth Wildcats by inflicting a fourth straight loss.
Both teams came into the clash at RAC Arena on identical 2-4 records but the Bullets won 84-79 under their rookie coach Justin Schueller despite the absence of star pair Aron Baynes and Shannon Scott.
The Wildcats' defeat has left their fanatical Red Army of fans - 10,481 turned out in Perth on Friday - growing increasingly restless.
Perth don't play again until hosting arch-rivals Adelaide 36ers next Saturday and it's going to be a fascinating seven days to see if their management feels the need to make changes to the squad who have slumped to 2-5.
Superstar Bryce Cotton had another tough night with just 3-of-19 shooting but only time will tell if that's a form slump or the system that coach John Rillie is putting him in.
Import forward Jordan Usher had 35 points on his debut but he's spiralled since and played just 18 minutes for four points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Alex Sarr struggled too for just five points with three turnovers while Brisbane's 17-year-old Rocco Zikarsky shone.
Captain Jesse Wagstaff did not hit the floor on the night his 450th game was being celebrated. Young gun Ben Henshall didn’t feature either, despite being dubbed the future face of the franchise.
Rillie remains confident it can quickly turn around.
"Yes, we're 2-5 but we're right there. We are losing games, yep we are, but it can change in a heartbeat," Rillie said.
"The players are talented and good that the minute something goes right for them, it's going to be like an avalanche.
"There's 15 players and my staff, that's what matters in this whole situation. We're the ones who got ourselves into it, we are the ones who will get ourselves out of it and that's who I lean on and am concerned about."
It was the ultimate team performance from the Bullets who pulled together as a unit though.
Whether it was the scoring punch of Nathan Sobey and Chris Smith, the stifling defence of Sam McDaniel or the work inside of Tyrell Harrison, Zikarsky and Josh Bannan, everything Schueller implemented worked a treat.
To add insult for Perth, former vice-captain and two-time championship-winning guard Mitch Norton was instrumental in Brisbane's win.
"The reality is we wanted this to be a bit about Norto," Schueller said.
"This is a club that he bled for for a long time and now he's bleeding for us, and we couldn’t be happier.
"We wanted to respect the way he plays the game and show that through all of us, and for the majority of the game the boys did that."
The Bullets host the Tasmania JackJumpers on Sunday, who went down earlier on Friday at home to Melbourne United.
