Either way, Goliath got knocked off in dramatic fashion in Wollongong on Tuesday, with the Hawks overwhelming Sydney 85-80 in front of 5064 screaming fans at the WEC.

Trailing for much of the contest, momentum turned on a monster block from Daniel Grida on Kings star Jae'Sean Tate early in the fourth quarter, sparking a 12-2 run that gave the Hawks a five-point lead with 1.15 remaining on the clock.

The Kings drew back within two on a three from Shaun Bruce but the Hawks held their composure down the stretch, with Emmett Naar icing the game from the line with nine seconds left.

Grida's stat sheet, nine points and three rebounds, did not reveal the extent of his influence, but Josh Boone's certainly did in a stunning return to form.

Luckless so far this season, Boone was enormous with 21 points and nine rebounds at a tidy 10-13 from the field, but the veteran big said Grida's block was certainly the turning point.

"Grida has a habit of making plays like that," Boone said.

"He's an explosive athlete and he only knows one speed, he just goes full speed all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

"Occasionally he may pick up a foul or two but we live with that because of the fact he can makes plays like that block. It got us going, that's what really what got us over the hump.

"It was a tough grind but we just kept fighting and that was really the play that got us over to that next level."

Boone's performance was a welcome showing after a thus far injury-riddled and frustrating campaign since joining the club amid big expectations.

"Eventually it's going to work," Boone said

"Eventually the shots are going to start falling, eventually the floater is going to be there, eventually you're going to get that offensive board.

"It just takes that constant effort and that's something I've been able to do my whole career, I've been a real effort guy, and that's why I've been able to stick around so long.

"It felt really good but, ultimately, the thing that feels the best is to get that win."

It ensured club stalwart Tim Coenraad - who had his side's first seven points - celebrated his 300th game with the most memorable of wins, finishing with 11 points.

Naar continued his brilliant run of form with 16 points and eight assists as he continues to show his worth as a floor general, while Todd Blanchfield also had 12 points.

In a game played out in runs Tate was the constant for the Kings, spreading his 23 points over all four quarters and also grabbing six rebounds.

Shaun Bruce had 14 points at 4-6 from deep while Daniel Kickert had his 12 points by halftime, all from three-point range.

It's certainly he best win of coach Matt Flinn's young coaching career and a reward for his young side's efforts over the past month.

"We were down 13 at one stage and the team six weeks ago would not have come back from that but we did [tonight]," Flinn said.

We've been really close and we've played really hard and just come up a little bit short. We've been in games, we just haven't been able to close out games. Tonight we could.

"The thing I'm most proud of at the moment is that not one person's given up. I've been involved with some teams in the past that, when it really gets difficult, you see people's true character come out.

"I think with out guys, when its backs to the wall, they rip in, training hard, play hard and stay together. I'm a proud coach."

It will be a huge confidence boost ahead of Saturday's home clash with Melbourne United where they'll look to make it consecutive victories for the first time this season.

For the Kings it was their fifth loss in their last seven outings as the navigate a tough middle stretch of the season.

Coenraad was hot early, grabbing the Hawks first seven points, while Hobson had four as the Hawks shot out to an early 11-8 lead.

The visitors kept in touch from the perimeter, with Newley and Ware grabbing early threes and back to back triples from Bruce and Kickert saw them take three-point lead six minutes into the term.

Hobson had four as the hosts led 13-8 before Bruce squared things up with his first triple. Kickert followed up to take a three-point lead. Blanchfield fired back with his first from deep, but Kickert answered with two, taking his tally to nine, to keep a handy five-point cushion.

It was part of a 15-5 run that forced Flinn into a timeout with 90 seconds left in the opening quarter. It did little, with Sydney taking a 10-point lead on Bruce's second three.

Tate had an easy one to start the second but Josh Boone and Dan Grida made their presence felt on the offensive glass on a 6-2 run that prompted Will Weaver to halt proceedings.

Grida continued a 8-0 run with Coenraad going 4/5 from the line as the Hawks drew level on a 12-0 run that was only halted when Deshon Taylor fired back with a three.

Bruce doubled up as the lead quickly shot back out to six before Kickert's fourth triple truly turned the tables and forced Flinn to burn a timeout.

Tate kept things rolling on a 13-0 run before a three-point play from Ogilvy woke the hosts, with and Emmett Naar nailing an incredible buzzer-beater to cut things back to five at the break.

Naar had four and Boone also had two buckets early in the third as the scores were again locked at 31-all. Newley had four on an 8-2 run, but Blanchfield had four in response to keep it tight.

Tate chimed in with another four as the Kings led by eight at the final stoppage.

Grida exploded to start the fourth, grabbing lay-up, a monster block on Tate and a deep three to lock the scores and force Weaver into a timeout.

A runner from Naar and three-point play from Boone gave the hawks a five-point lead with just under four minutes remaining. Boone beat the buzzer from mid-range for a five-point lead, with Ware remarkably going 0-2 from the line with a minute left.

Bruce drained a deep three to bring the margin back to two but Ware missed his attempt at a match-winning three with 23 seconds remaining, allowing Dech, Naar and finally Blanchfield to close the show from the line.