The Sydney Kings have boosted their NBL finals prospects and smashed a long-standing hoodoo with a 93-81 away win over the Adelaide 36ers.
Adelaide-born Brad Newley (26 points), former Sixer Jerome Randle (23) and Kevin Lisch (20) starred on Saturday afternoon as third-placed Sydney snapped an 11-match losing streak against Adelaide.
It was their first win in 1094 days at Adelaide's Titanium Security Arena.
Former NBA centre Andrew Bogut proved the perfect supportive foil for the trio with eight points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Reserve Adelaide big man Harry Froling scored 15 of his career-high 23 points inside three inspirational minutes during the second quarter but, otherwise, the Kings were untroubled.
The visitors were focused and red-hot from the outset, storming to a 16-point lead during the first term which was delayed while blood was removed from the court after some friendly fire from Andrew Bogut's elbow split import David Wear's head open.
Sydney led 27-15 at quarter-time before Froling scored all 15 Adelaide points in a 15-7 run to help the hosts slice the margin to 52-43 at halftime.
The visitors were eight-of-12 from three-point land and continued to be hard to stop as they moved ahead 73-63 at three-quarter time.
Froling again provided punch off the bench in the fourth term but lacked support as Sydney cruised across the line, consigning the seventh-placed 36ers, last season's grand finalists, to their fourth-straight defeat.
Sydney coach Andrew Gaze believed his team's improved defence was a big factor in finally breaking the Sixers' spell.
"We changed things up a lot," he said. "We went a different route to start with which set the pattern for how we wanted to play.
"To hold them to 81 points was the difference - that was huge.
"Defensively, we've really improved."
Adelaide coach Joey Wright lamented his side's lack of energy and perimeter defence.
"They made some shots, 12-of-24 three-pointers and we were three-of-16 and Harry hit all three of those," Wright said.
"We should have been fired up and ready to go but we didn't show much energy."
