Defending champions Perth are back in the fight for top spot on the NBL ladder after beating Melbourne in a one-point overtime thriller on Sunday.
DeAndre Daniels laid on 18 points for the Wildcats, whose victory at Hisense Arena snapped a three-game away losing streak - their longest since March 2011.
With the backing of a season-high home crowd of 6,754, United led by a single point at the first break and managed to keep within two points by halftime.
The Wildcats looked to gain the upper hand after a third-quarter blitz from Daniels, but some hot shooting from Daryl Corletto dragged the hosts back into the contest.
A jump shot from Daniel Kickert with just two seconds on the clock levelled the scores, sending United into overtime for the third game in a row.
Another victory looked likely early on, but a rare four-point play by Shawn Redhage in the final minutes gave the Wildcats a lead which they would never gave up.
"We looked like we had it won about three different times there - they're a quality team," Redhage said.
"But we showed the character of the team tonight to get a big win on the road. This is a tough place to play.
"Now we want to try and get that top spot back."
The Wildcats sit third behind Cairns and New Zealand, who will hold onto their spot atop the standings into 2015 after a comprehensive 97-85 win over Sydney on Friday.
The Breakers were never threatened by the fifth-placed Kings, racing ahead 32-17 in the first quarter and leading by as much as 25 points before halftime.
It was their 13th victory from 18 games, guaranteeing their place ahead of Cairns and Perth before their next match - away to Adelaide - on January 4.
The Taipans survived a fourth-quarter rally from cellar-dwellers Wollongong on Saturday to bring their season record to 12-5.
The Hawks fought back from a double-digit deficit in the final minutes to pull within three points, only to have Alex Loughton and Cameron Gliddon spoil the party with huge threes.
On Saturday night, Boomers star Brock Motum helped Adelaide to a third straight win at Adelaide Arena in as many weeks, toppling Townsville 91-84.
Motum contributed a game-high 25 points - including a thunderous dunk in the dying seconds to seal the victory.
Round 13 begins with a triple-header on New Year's Eve, with Cairns hosting Adelaide, Sydney away to Townsville and Wollongong at home against Perth.
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