The Silver Ferns are ruing a last five minutes that got away after they fell to a 58-48 defeat that gives holders Australia a firm grip on netball's Constellation Cup.
New Zealand were well in the hunt in Auckland on Thursday night before fading and going 2-0 behind in the series.
The Silver Ferns will have to win the last two Tests, both in Australia, and then have a better goal percentage, to wrest the trophy.
The match at Vector Arena was a see-sawing battle before the Diamonds pulled away late on.
A key factor for the visitors was the sharp form of shooters Caitlin Bassett (39/41) and player-of-the-match Natalie Medhurst (19/20).
Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu said it was "a great game" until the closing stages, but also praised the Bassett-Medhurst partnership.
"It's really difficult to beat a team that's shooting at 95 per cent," she said.
"The Australian shooters played very well tonight and we didn't contain that as well as we should have."
Bassett and Medhurst were flawless during a first half that finished tied at 27-27.
That, and the number of penalties conceded, led Taumaunu to change her defensive circle combination, taking off skipper Casey Kopua and Katrina Grant and putting on Phoenix Karaka and Leana de Bruin.
Australian coach Lisa Alexander also made changes during the match, including inserting Gretel Tippett for her Test debut during the third quarter, when the Diamonds were trailing 36-35.
In a surprise, Tippett operated not in her usual position of shooter, but her height was used instead at wing attack.
Skipper Laura Geitz said the move offered the Diamonds something different on court and boosted the team.
Geitz also highlighted the work Tippett did in slowing the ball coming out of the attack end.
That gave the defenders a better chance of winning a turnover or spoiling New Zealand possession.
"She's obviously come from a basketball background and is a very unorthodox player," Geitz said.
"Lisa timed it perfectly and it just offered something else for us and really lifted the team out there."
Behind 14-13 at quarter-time, the Silver Ferns produced an intense start to the second quarter as their mid-court of Kayla Cullen, Laura Langman and Grace Rasmussen began to impose themselves.
A 6-1 run gave the home side a four-goal lead as they also tightened their defence.
But the Diamonds struck back in the latter stages of the quarter, landing the last three goals to tie the score at the main break.
The Silver Ferns went back in front until the Diamonds made a push late in the third quarter and then finished the stronger.
The third Test is on Sunday in Melbourne.
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