The first over saw Alex Hales and Callum Ferguson out and the score 2/1.
It looked to be a mountain too tall to climb and potentially the second consecutive drubbing in the BBL but the Thunder started building partnerships.
Baxter Holt and Alex Ross put on 49 for the fourth wicket before Ben Cutting and Daniel Sams came to the crease.
Cutting is known as a dasher with the bat but he played second fiddle as Sams cut loose.
Daniel Sams went ballistic to seal a famous win for the Sydney Thunder.
An Australian T20 representative this summer against India, Sams unloaded, hitting 65 off 25 balls including seven sixes has he singlehandedly stole the match.
But needing 32 off the final three overs, Cutting was bowled and 24 was still needed from the final two.
It took just five balls as the first ball was a no ball that went for six, followed by two dot balls and three straight sixes as Sams romped to victory.
While Sams was the hero, Ricky Ponting savaged the Heat for the late planning.
"This has been absolutely pathetic bowling," Ricky Ponting said. "Pathetic planning and pathetic bowling.
"He's 59 not out off 24 balls and would he have more than 10 runs on the offside? They've bowled exactly where they want them."
When the first two wickets fell in the first over, Ponting said it looked like the Thunder had less than 10 percent chance of pulling off the win.
But he had some nice comments for Sams as well.
"Absolutely incredible," Ponting said. "We probably haven't given him enough credit, 65 off 25, some brilliant brilliant on the back of some pathetic bowling and planning from the Brisbane Heat. But well done Daniel Sams, congratulations son, you've almost singlehandedly got your team across the line."
Shane Warne also took aim at the Heat after the Thunder came from nowhere to claim the side's first win of the season.
And that’s as bad a bowling as I’ve ever seen in T/20 cricket from the Brisbane heat & horrific plans too - any chance of a wide yorker???? #BBL
A lot of people complaining about the size of bats, boundary ropes in to far, flat wickets etc ! But how about the bowlers improve & execute plans better. Are fast bowlers bowling 30/40 Yorkers every day at practise or is sports science not allowing them to practise that skill ?
It was particularly sweet for Ben Cutting, who threw some fuel on the fire with comments about why he left the side.
Lynn had some words when Cutting came out to bat with the Thunder player saying it was "the first words he said to me in about eight months".
Lynn had some words for Ben Cutting.
"I'm still waiting for the phone call to be fair," he added.
"All the other boys out there are pretty friendly out there so it was good fun."
Heat captain Chris Lynn and import Dan Lawrence played despite being investigated for a COVID-19 bubble breach but Lynn brushed it off.
He hit five sixes in his innings, becoming the first player in BBL history to hit 150 sixes.
It was remarkable considering the next best six hitters are Aaron Finch on 84, Glenn Maxwell on 83 and D'Arcy Short on 75.
Updates
Thunder close in after 'carnage'
2/1 after one over, the Thunder almost claimed the Bash Boost at 10 overs, falling just six runs short.
But from 5/80, Daniel Sams and Heat reject Ben Cutting have got the Thunder needing 32 off the last three overs.
Cutting has hit 27 off 21, while Daniel Sams is 41 off 19.
But it would be particularly sweet for Cutting who detailed his "hurt" having been left to walk away from the Heat.
And Chris Lynn let him know about it when he came to the crease.
But Cutting was bowled two balls later by Mark Steketee and the paceman let his former teammate know all about it.
Cutting said it was "the first words he said to me in about eight months".
"I'm still waiting for the phone call to be fair," he added.
"All the other boys out there are pretty friendly out there so it was good fun."
'Remarkable': BBL first over carnage
Well the Sydney Thunder needed to get off to a good start – they did not.
The first over from Jack Wildermuth saw both Alex Hales and Callum Ferguson go for ducks as the Thunder fell to 2/1 off the first.
Lets hope they can steady the ship, rather than winding up like the Renegades last night.
'Absurd': BBL blaster's freakish record
Chris Lynn may have been named in the bubble breach but it's not been on his mind at all it seems as he plundered 69 off 44 balls.
Lynn has continued as Max Bryant, Dan Lawrence and Tom Cooper departed – the latter spectacularly, after his off stump was cartwheeled.
Lynn passed 50 off 32 balls.
But his innings ended on 69, going for a massive blow only to be caught right on the boundary.
The 44 ball innings had three fours and five sixes with some lusty blows.
But his third six will go down in the history book.
Already the highest run scorer in the competition's history, Lynn hit his 19th 50, as well as reaching 152 sixes.
He became the first man to pass 150 sixes in the BBL, remarkable when you consider the next best six hitters are Aaron Finch on 84, Glenn Maxwell on 83 and D'Arcy Short on 75.
But the Thunder also put the breaks on the innings.
After 13 overs, the Heat were 2/115 with 200 potentially on the cards with Lynn going along nicely.
Wickets, a two run 14th over and three run 16th slowed the Heat's roll.
Jack Wildermuth responded though with some late lusty blows to help the Heat along.
His 31 off 11 balls guided the Heat to 6/178
Heat off to a flyer
The Brisbane Heat were wasting no time, taking 13 off the first over after electing to bat first.
But Daniel Sams slowed it down somewhat after a half tracker was smashed straight to Alex Ross on the boundary after 37 went off 3.2 overs.
It's calmed a little with Max Bryant on 28 off 20 and Chris Lynn 22 off 16 as the Heat move to 1/71 off eight overs.
Star reveals details of BBL walk out
Sydney Thunder recruit Ben Cutting has taken aim at his former BBL club’s management ahead of Monday evening’s blockbuster clash at Manuka Oval. After a nine-year stint with the Brisbane Heat, Cutting remarkably left the franchise in September with one-year remaining on his contract. The 33-year-old was one of six local players to depart the club this year, joining James Pattinson, Josh Lalor, Jack Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw and Cameron Gannon.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the all-rounder conceded he was “hurt” by decision-making within the Heat’s management, prompting his sudden departure. “I’m at peace with it now, but it certainly hurt at the time,” Cutting said. “Walking into my meeting for this season and being told a few things I didn’t think were true, and it’s turned out that they haven’t been, it’s disappointing. “There were plenty of other things, I don’t need to say too much … there was definitely something in the water. “With COVID they have cut a lot of people out of management … but there is still a couple left in management who were making the decisions, and are probably the reason five or six of us did walk away.”
Cutting is the Heat’s highest wicket-taker (63 scalps) and second-highest run-scorer (1109 runs) in BBL history. After the Thunder quickly secured his signature in the off-season, Cutting admitted he was eager to “stick it” to his former teammates. “Most of those (current Heat players) are great mates of mine, and a lot of them are coming to my wedding,” Cutting said. “But I still want to stick it into them on the cricket field.” Cutting played 11 short-format matches for Australia between 2013 and 2017, before announcing his retirement from first-class cricket in 2018.
The fight for the best players is already a tough one for the BBL, but a move by a rival South African competition could make things even more challenging.
The consensus was the Big Bash was as good as it’s ever been this season, but anyone not moving forward is sitting still and that could mean more innovations.
