Stand-in skipper Kane Williamson has top-scored with a half-century as New Zealand set Sri Lanka a target of 277 to win the third one-day international in Nelson.
Williamson hit 59 as the Black Caps, up 2-0 in the five-match series, finished on 276-8 at Saxton Oval on Thursday.
He produced some typically classy strokes, including three consecutive fours off rival captain Angelo Mathews through different parts of the off-side.
He did offer a chance off leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay on 30, mishitting to long-off
where a diving Chamara Kapugedara couldn't hold a difficult chance.
Making his first appearance in the series after resting a knee injury, Williamson brought up his fifty by driving through the covers off left-arm spinner Milinda Siriwardana.
But Siriwardana had the final say with a full toss, which Williamson swatted to mid-on.
After the Blacks Cap had been 102-1, Williamson's dismissal left the score at 163-5.
All-rounder Mitchell Santner added a solid 38, but was run out through a sharp piece of fielding from Dushmantha Chameera.
Doug Bracewell (30), Adam Milne (17 not out) and Tim Southee (18no off just four balls) added some valuable late runs.
Williamson took over the captaincy in the absence of Brendon McCullum, who hurt his back after slamming into advertising hoardings while fielding in game two, and won the toss.
Opener Martin Guptill, backing up from scores of 79 and 93 not out, again produced some big hitting, including a six over mid-wicket off paceman Chameera.
But having just slapped another boundary through cover to get to 30, he cut a Chameera delivery straight to point.
The scorer of the most ODI runs of any batsman in 2015, Guptill ends the year with 1489, with Williamson second on 1376.
Fellow opener Tom Latham and Williamson put on a half-century partnership to take New Zealand past 100 before Vandersay got a double breakthrough in three balls.
In his second ODI, Vandersay picked up his debut wicket when Latham was caught at fine leg for 42.
With the next ball, he beat the bat of new batsman Ross Taylor before getting Taylor edging to first slip.
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