The Sydney Kings have maintained their status as the NBL's top-ranked team after round 13 but defending champions Melbourne United proved they cannot be counted out of the title race.
Sydney missed a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the standings when they lost to Illawarra after their main rivals Perth tasted defeat at the hands of the Cairns Taipans.
But United's dramatic comeback win in Cairns has put the rest of the competition on notice, as they recovered from an 18-point deficit to win 99-89 in overtime.
Fuelled by guard Melo Trimble's 42-point explosion, Cairns led comfortably for the majority of the game until a 22-9 final quarter from United tied the game at 81-all.
Casper Ware (27 points) then took over for the visitors as United scored 12 unanswered points at the start of overtime to cap the win.
"We just kept the course ... we never put our heads down," Ware told Fox Sports after completing the stirring comeback.
"We hadn't been playing good at all ... I sat for most of the first half and then I was ready to go, I was pumped and I had my team's back."
The Kings opened their round on Friday night with a 100-92 win over the visiting New Zealand Breakers but blew the chance to move two games clear on top after Sunday's 96-84 loss to the Hawks.
With marquee signing Andrew Bogut struggling to make an impact against the Hawks, the Kings suffered their heaviest defeat of the season.
Perth fell further behind in the race for top spot after a tight 81-79 home defeat to the Cairns Taipans on Friday night.
Trimble burnt the Wildcats for 32 points and seven rebounds as Perth's recent form slump continued with only one win from their past seven games.
The Sixers needed a big second half to defeat Illawarra on Thursday night, overcoming a 10-point deficit and an embarrassing shot clock malfunction in the second quarter to pull out the 102-96 result over the Hawks in Wollongong.
The win drew Adelaide level on the ladder with Brisbane on 10-9, giving Saturday's matchup between the two clubs extra importance.
But it was the Bullets who came up big when it mattered, outscoring the Sixers 35-14 in the fourth quarter to close out a vital 102-90 road win.
