The Hawks looked in command of the clash, leading by eight at halftime, only to stagnate badly in the third in which the Kings kept them to just 11 points. It set up a thrilling final term that saw 12 lead changes before Deng Adel had the final say with two pressure free-throws for a three-point lead with six seconds left.

It followed two big plays from defensive whiz Justin Simon, who recaptured the lead on an offensive board and forced Kings star Casper Ware into a turnover from which the Hawks never surrendered the lead.

Tyler Harvey was once again the star, with 13 of his 25 points coming in the final term. Simon had 12 points, seven rebounds and a crucial three steals, while Justinian Jessup's 12 points came in the first half.

After being on the other end of a tight one on their own floor against Melbourne United on Wednesday, Goorjian was pleased to see his side hold their nerve down the stretch to eek out the important victory.

"[The Kings] are a good basketball team and we came in here, a young new group, trying to win a very important game against our cross-town rival," Goorjian said.

"They weren't going to let it go and we knew they were going to make a run at us. In our last game at home, when it was basket for basket down the stretch, we didn't handle that very well. Tonight, defensively we made them take tough shots down the last t few minutes of the game and we offensively got good shots and made big plays.

"The benefits of losing as a new organisation... It's falling down and getting back up, moving forward and growing. I thought from the United game to this game there was a lot to be happy about from our side.

"We're playing against, traditionally, the big hitters, the big cities, the teams that have big stadiums, the big money, the big franchises... these teams are top four. [Sydney] went to the final last year, Melbourne United's pick one in this thing by a long way.

"You look at us, we played to a basket against United and then we came here and beat a team that wants to keep the foot on our jugular. This is a great first-up for a new organisation and makes the rivalry real."

Cam Bairstow had 13 points, while Adel finished with 11, but Brian Goorjian's side was almost made to pay for a dismal third term and were helped by a nasty-looking fall from Kings star Jarell Martin midway through the term as his side made a charge.

Back-up bigs Jordan Hunter and Tom Vodanovich also fouled out, with the hosts showing plenty of fortitude to stay in the match to the death. Ware led the way for the Kings with 21 points and six assists, while Dejan Vasiljevic had 18 points but it was Martin's injury that proved the real hammer blow for the already injury-hit Kings.

Martin had 15 points and was looking a dominant inside force before he slipped awkwardly and was helped from the court, not returning and leaving rookie coach Adam Frode once again ruing his luckless run on the injury front.

It was a crucial victory for the Hawks, halting a losing slide heading into another month on the road at the looming NBL Cup in Melbourne, though doubt has been cast over the viability of the month-long event amid the latest COVID outbreak.

Ware had his side's first six points exploding with an early three and an and-one but it was Jessup who got hot; dropping two early threes, with Harvey and Bairstow also chiming in from deep on a run that turned a four-point deficit into an eight-point lead.

Ware and Martin had triples to peg the lead back but Adel's first from deep gave the Hawks a six-point lead at quarter-time. The visitors made all the running early in the second term, an and-one from Harvey the exclamation point on a 12-6 run that saw the margin balloon to 12.

It forced Adam Forde to burn a timeout and it had the desired effect, the hosts going 8-0 at the resumption to quickly bring the margin to four. Ogilvy had four from the line as the Hawks steadied, closing the half on an 8-4 run to enjoy and eight-point cushion at the main break.

The Kings went 8-2 to start the third with Goorjian quickly calling timeout to halt the run with the margin back to two. Harvey had a much-needed three on what was an 11-5 run for the hosts, though Martin hitting the floor with a nasty slip took the win out of their sails.

The run brought the Kings within two, but a quick four from Bairstow gave the Hawks some breathing space with the lead back at seven. It was short-lived, with Adel falling short of what looked a spectacular dunk and Tom Vadanovich nailing a three to balance the game on a two-point knife's edge at the final break.

Ware had a quick-fire seven as the lead fluctuated in the fourth but it was Harvey who provided the steadying hand for the Hawks, including a monster go-ahead three from well beyond the arc.

It kept his side in front before Simon produced crucial plays down the stretch, allowing Adel to ice the game from the line.