Selby achieved perfection in the 16th frame, making the first maximum break in a World Championship final and just the 14th in the history of the tournament.
Brecel had opened up an impressive 6-2 lead in the opening session and was still looking in command at 9-5 up on Sunday evening.
However, the four-time champion battled back in stunning style, knocking in a 61 in the 15th before the immense 147 in the next frame.
There was then a huge frame to close the session as Selby was trying to regain some composure after the maximum and whipping up the crowd in celebration afterwards.
Both men had chances but it was Selby who claimed it to cut his deficit to just one frame with two sessions to play on Monday.
On his immense maximum break, Selby told Eurosport: ‘I wasn’t really thinking about the maximum until I got to 72. The way Luca was playing I was just happy to get some frames on the board and try to get myself back into the match.
‘If I’d have felt good on reds then of course keep going for the black, but if at any stage it had got a bit tricky then I would have just played to win the frame.
‘I felt calm all the way through it. The last red on the side rail was the tricky one, but I played the white like it was ball in hand, I just had to drop it in.
‘Incredible really. Just to make a 147 here is hard enough. I always thought to myself, if I got myself in that position I’d probably be shaking like a leaf, but it’s amazing how calm I felt.’
Brecel is still ahead in the match as they battle it out to get to 18 frames first, but Selby will likely be feeling the most positive as they hit the hay tonight.
Kyren Wilson will not be best pleased with Selby’s max as he will now have to share the prize, which stands at £40,000 for the 147 and £15,000 for the high break. Wilson had that to himself before after making the perfect break against Ryan Day in the last 32, but now he will split it with Selby.
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