The Adelaide 36ers have used the spirit of their 1999 NBL championship-winning team to defy a last-versus-first contest and hold out Melbourne United for a 100-96 win.
A record crowd of 9564 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre was on hand on Saturday as the last-placed Sixers hosted a United team three games clear on top of the NBL table - and Adelaide came out inspired from the start.
Whether it was the 25-year anniversary of their 1998/99 championship team or just the challenge against the league-leaders, it brought out a best-yet performance under interim coach Scott Ninnis.
Dejan Vasiljevic led the charge in the opening quarter for Adelaide, scoring 15 of his 30 points for the game to help his team to a 27-23 lead by quarter-time.
Trey Kell scored seven quick points in the second quarter to push that lead to double-figures, but Melbourne stayed in touch to cut Adelaide's advantage to 46-42 at halftime.
The 36ers did well to still be ahead by 11 at three-quarter-time, and the game appeared over when the hosts built up a 15-point lead with five minutes to play.
It started with a finish in transition from Jacob Wiley (12 points, six rebounds).
Isaac Humphries (16 points, seven boards) scored on an offensive rebound from Wiley's missed free-throw, and the Sixers denied Jo Lual-Acuil on four attempts at the rim on the one possession.
Wiley landed a three up the other end to make it a 15-point ball game but Melbourne kept on coming.
They got back within four with 1:45 to go before Kell hit a fifth triple of the game to ice the win and finish with 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Ninnis, in his second stint as head coach and a 36ers Hall of Famer involved in all four championship, was beaming with pride afterwards.
"We obviously needed this win and it's a reward for the way the boys have stuck at it, and have trained," he said.
"It's easy to get down when you're in these situations and have been losing more than not, but I'm incredibly proud of the effort that we put in tonight."
It's a second road loss in the last three games for Melbourne, who nonetheless remain clear on top at 15-5, with Tanner Krebs having a career-best night with 23 points in his 88th game.
Lual-Acuil pulled down 17 rebounds but scored just seven points, with Chris Goulding adding 13, Shea Ili 12 (six assists), Matthew Dellavedova 11 (nine assists), Ariel Hukporti 10 and Kyle Bowen 10.
United coach Dean Vickerman paid full credit to the 36ers afterwards.
"We were a little bit off with our connection and physicality in the first half, and that allowed their big three, Kell, DJ and Humphries, to impose themselves and feel pretty good about the game," Vickerman said.
"That continued for them for a bit and we made our runs back, and I loved the fight back, but credit to them."
