From 1-0 up, NZ Breakers have fallen to 1-2 down in the ANBL's best-of-five series, after a 91-68 defeat to Sydney Kings on Friday.
In front of the biggest crowd in the competition's history, with more than 18,000 fans packed into Qudos Bank Arena, the home side completely outclassed the Kiwi visitors, becoming the first side to notch a home win in the finals series.
Defeat comes with worrying signs for the Breakers, who held a 47-43 lead at halftime but could only score 21 points in the final two quarters - with just nine in the last 15 minutes.
Dejan Vasiljevic led the scoring for the Kings, with 15 points to go with four rebounds and two assists, backed up by Tim Soares (14 points, six rebounds), Justin Simon (13 points, six assists), Derrick Walton Jr (12 points, nine assists, six rebounds), Angus Glover (11 points), and Xavier Cooks (10 points, eight rebounds) all scoring in double figures.
The Breakers themselves did have four to score in double digits, with William McDowell-White (11), Jarrell Brantley, Barry Brown Jr and Rayan Rupert (10 each) contributing to the score, albeit on a smaller scale than their opposition.
Brantley's cause, though, was hindered when he fouled out late in the piece.
Both sides now head back across the Tasman for game four, to be played at Auckland's Spark Arena on Sunday night, already sold out.
Victory for the home side would square the ledger at 2-2, and force a decisive game five.
Meanwhile, an away win would give Sydney the title, and their fifth ANBL title.
NZ Breakers 68 (McDowell-White 11, Brantley, Brown Jr, Rupert 10)
Sydney Kings 91 ( Vasiljevic 15, Soares 14, Simon 13, Walton Jr 12, Glover 11, Cooks 10)
