Blanchfield was just one point shy of his previous career-high of 32 points through three quarters and finished with a new mark of 35 points, but it was the last of Anthony Drmic's 24 points that proved the difference.

With all of his previous 21 points coming from close range, Drmic nailed his first triple for a four-point lead with 30 seconds left. The Hawks were unable to reel it in, falling short 102-96.

Blanchfield's 35 came at an impressive 66 per cent from the field, 7-12 from three-point range, but he was ultimately slowed by foul trouble in the final term that saw him grab just four points.

Sunday Dech continued a personal love affair with Adelaide with 16 points, while Josh Boone had 14 points and seven rebounds before also encountering foul trouble late.

It made the absence of injured bigs AJ Ogilvy and Dave Andersen telling, with Sixers big man Daniel Johnson finishing with 22 points and seven boards and Jerome Randle chiming in with 19.

Tim Coenraad had eight of his 12 points in the second term but it was Drmic's night in a victory that keeps Adelaide's finals window open.

It was another brave effort from the undermanned Hawks, but they ultimately slumped to their fourth loss in their last six outings ahead of a home double-header against Perth and South East Melbourne in Wollongong this weekend.

The Hawks were hot from deep early on, with Dech trading threes with Teys and Blanchfield dropping two for an early lead.

Drmic had four early for the hosts but the Hawks took a handy 13-11 lead with Dech draining two more from the charity stripe. Teys took his first-quarter tally to seven with a put-back.

Blanchfield answered with another from deep and had a transition slam to keep a three-point buffer. Johnson and Randle got going from the line, but the quarter belonged to Blanchfield who took his tally to 16 with his fourth three.

Harry Froling had a pair of important triples from the bench for the hosts to lock things up at 32 apiece at the first break.

Randle opened the second term with a three and followed up with his second not long after, but four points to Boone and a three from Daniel Grida re-took the lead for the visitors.

A three-point play from Eric Griffin took back the lead for the Sixers before Blanchfield locked it back up with his first points of the term from deep. It became a four-point lead on a pair of threes from Coenraad.

Kevin White locked it up 57-all when dared to shoot from deep. Blanchfield and Johnson traded doubles to keep it that way before Dech muscled his way to the basket with two seconds left in the term for a 61-59 halftime lead.

Blanchfield picked up an unsportsmanlike and another quick foul to start the third, with Teys taking advantage from the line, but it didn't slow the Hawks skipper who nailed two threes and had two neat runners to briefly take the lead.

Drmic kept his own tally ticking over from the line and a steal and lay-up from Randle saw the hosts grab a seven-point cushion before a five-point cameo from Hyrum Harris cut it to four at the final break.

Dech scored first in the fourth with Joey Wright tee'd up moments later allowing Blanchfield to equal his career-high from the line but he was forced to sit with his fourth foul.

Randle took advantage with five points to take the lead to two scores, hovering at that mark until a three from Blanchfield and an easy bucket for Boone made it a one-point game with 30 seconds left.

Enter Drmic who stepped up and iced the game from deep.