IN FITTING fashion, the 2026 National Basketball League (NBL) Championship Series is going to game five after the Adelaide 36ers defeated the Sydney Kings by one point at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in another dramatic encounter on Wednesday night.

The Kings were on the brink of taking out the championship when they travelled to South Australia on Wednesday, having taken a 2-1 lead in the series with a strong win in Sydney on Sunday afternoon. They were just one win away from claiming the ultimate prize, but needed to do what they could not in game two and defeat the Sixers in Adelaide, with the home side fighting to keep their season alive.

It was another enthralling clash last night, and although the Kings were in control for much of the contest, the Sixers came alive late to steal the win and force a fifth and final game, with the match going down to the final possession.

Adelaide 36ers (92) def. Sydney Kings (91)

The Sixers started emphatically, jumping out to an early 7-3 lead at home as the crowd began to get involved earlier, before the Kings steadied through Jaylin Galloway. The wing’s three-point shooting helped the Kings get on top, and after the first 10 minutes of play, it was the visitors who held a slim two-point buffer.

Sixers star Zylan Cheatham opened proceedings in the second frame with a three-ball to give the Sixers the lead, which blew out to six points in no time at all. However, Sydney rallied behind Galloway’s long-range shooting to end the half on an 11-1 run which saw the Kings head into the main change with a seven-point buffer and one step away from the championship.

With their backs against the wall and their season on the line, the Sixers fell behind by nine points as the final change approached. The Kings looked more composed in their offensive sets, showing plenty of patience which resulted in more production and better looks, particularly from deep. However, the Sixers cut the deficit down to just two points at the final change, and it was anyone’s game heading into the last.

Adelaide stormed out to a four-point lead early in the fourth and the Kings returned serve shortly after as the lead changed hands several times. Kendric Davis knocked down a pair of three-pointers to silence the crowd, maintaining his standing as one of the best shotmakers in the competition, and putting his side in front with just over three minutes to play.

There were some clutch free throws made down the stretch as the game went down to the wire, and with 10 seconds left to play, the Sixers had scrambled a two-point buffer. However, Matthew Dellavedova dished the ball to Torrey Craig, and the NBA veteran was fouled with 2.8 seconds left on the clock. Craig nailed the first, but missed the game-tying second free throw as time expired and the Sixers kept their title hopes alive.

Cheatham was enormous for the Sixers, stepping up with the game on the line in the fourth quarter to finish with 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, with his pressure on the rim a reliable avenue to scoring. Bryce Cotton and Dejan Vasiljevic both dropped 19 points, while Isaac Humphries was vital in the final term, hustling for loose balls and rebounds en route to 10 points and 10 rebounds to be one of the most influential players on the court.

Davis ended with 22 points and 10 assists, showing composure for the Kings in the half court and looking game breaking throughout the first three quarters. Galloway almost dragged his side to a championship-clinching win as well, dropping 20 points for the match with four three-pointers in the first half, which was crucial to building their lead.

The series will conclude at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon, as Adelaide and Sydney play for all the chocolates in a decisive game five.