The Adelaide 36ers played with the energy to make you think they were the ones fighting for their NBL playoff lives as they put another dagger into the Sydney Kings with a 95-82 win.
The Sixers remain bottom of the NBL, despite this victory following hot on the heels of their stunning triumph over the league-leading Melbourne United on Saturday night.
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre was once again sold out, setting a crowd record of 9580 for South Australian basketball.
The Kings arrived with their tilt at a third-straight championship hanging by a thread after losing seven of their last 10 games, but they looked anything like a desperate team.
It was the 36ers who were full of energy, playing with a spark and in control of the contest for most of the night.
The Sixers remain in last place at 7-13 but have now won three of their last five under interim coach Scott Ninnis, and outworked and outhustled the Kings.
Trey Kell III continued his standout form as point guard for Adelaide with 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists, with Isaac Humphries adding 18 points, 12 boards and three blocks.
Sunday Dech was a spark with 13 points on top of stifling defence with Jacob Wiley adding 13 points, but all eyes were on two-time Sydney championship winner DJ Vasiljevic.
He had 12 points and eight assists in his first game against his former team.
"You look at the Sydney Kings, they're the reigning champions and they were desperate coming in and there's talent everywhere you look with them," Ninnis said.
"So to be able to come in with right mindset and to do what we did, especially defensively early on, was very, very pleasing."
The Kings are in a world of hurt having now lost eight of their last 11 to sit at 10-11 before a grand final rematch on Sunday in Sydney against the New Zealand Breakers.
What would have frustrated their coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah was the poor shot selection, particularly quick three-pointers without getting into the offence.
Sydney shot 5-of-33 from beyond the arc.
Even more of a concern was giving up 24 second-chance points to Adelaide and 18 off turnovers.
Combined with 35 per cent field-goal shooting it was a horror show from the Kings.
Former MVP Jaylen Adams top-scored with 20 points and four assists for Sydney, with Kouat Noi adding 11 points including a thunderous dunk late.
"They are playing with the hunger, they're just struggling right now," Abdelfattah said.
"We are three and eight in our last 11 games and it just doesn't feel good when you're losing this many, and you just start to question yourself as an individual and what you're doing.
"We're just struggling right now to make shots so we're trying to find that confidence, but we'll keep pushing through and the guys are all in it together and know what we have ahead."
