Tyler Harvey's missed three-pointer on the full-time buzzer has allowed the Adelaide 36ers to escape with a thrilling 91-88 NBL victory over the fast-finishing Illawarra Hawks.
The Sixers led by as many as 25 points late in the second quarter in front of a sell-out crowd of 9475 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Monday night, before being swamped after half-time by the ladder-leading Hawks, who went 19-12 and 26-16 in the last two quarters.
Centre Sam Froling amassed a career-best 35 points at 71 per cent and 13 rebounds to almost lug the Hawks over the line.
Imports Montrezl Harrell (26 points) and Kendric Davis (25) paced eighth-placed Adelaide's win and kept their finals hopes alive.
"It's not like they (Illawarra) were going to come out in the second half and not play," Sixers coach Mike Wells said.
"We knew we were going to get a punch, maybe a couple of them.
"Would we have loved for it to look a little prettier in the second half? Sure, I guess.
"We did win the game - that's the ultimate goal."
The home side captured the lead on a 10-0 burst amid an overall 18-4 spree early on, before unleashing another 11-2 run as their buffer swelled to 31-16.
Harvey's three consecutive three-pointers sliced Adelaide's advantage to 33-25 at the end of the first quarter, which finished on a fiery note when Davis and Froling clashed under the 36ers' basket, before Harrell exchanged verbals with the Hawks big man.
Illawarra coach Justin Tatum marched over from his team's bench to become involved and earned himself a technical foul as he engaged in a protracted discussion with referee Vaughan Mayberry.
Harrell posted 12 points without a miss in the second quarter as the Sixers continued their first-half domination.
The margin ballooned to 63-38 before Adelaide suddenly went ice cold, with Froling scoring 12 points in a 16-0 barrage either side of half-time to cut the gap to single digits.
Davis revived the stalling 36ers, registering their belated first score at the midway stage of the third quarter, and tallying 10 of Adelaide's 12 points for the term to ease the hosts to a 75-62 cushion at the last change.
Adelaide were still 15 points up before Froling inspired an 11-0 rampage.
Teammate Darius Days then drained three threes and a toe-on-the-line two in the space of two minutes to trim the margin to three points with 31 seconds remaining, but Adelaide clung on for the victory.
"Our group didn't play as well as we wanted to in the first half," Tatum said.
"Then we had a sense of urgency in the second half and played better."