Playing in front of 3724 fans at the WIN Entertainment Centre, the hosts had multiple chances to secure the victory, however they were unable to land the big shot when it mattered most.

The Hawks now sit fifth on the ladder, the win seeing the Kings rise to third.

Entering the final quarter trailing 58-54, the Hawks were playing catchup for the duration of the fourth.

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That all changed with 36.5 seconds to go, Justin Simon turning a steal into a game-tying lay up.

The Hawks thought they had the winner, Tyler Harvey's shot rolling around the rim before falling away as time expired.

Instead, the match went to overtime, Sydney immediately gaining the upper hand.

The Kings were dealt an early blow, however, star Casper Ware injuring his leg on the first play of the extra period. That did not slow their run, however, the visitors opening up a five-point lead with three minutes to play.

The Hawks remained in contact with their opponents, pulling within one with 30 seconds to go.

Moller put the game to bed on the following possession, nailing a clutch three to secure a 79-75 victory.

The match was a tense, low-scoring affair, both sides struggling to find their rhythm on offense. Illawarra finished with 36% from the field, while Sydney were 38%.

The Hawks were undermanned throughout the encounter, Justinian Jessup and Deng Adel sitting out through injury.

Harvey was among the side's best, scoring 13 points in the first half. The Kings, however, were able to shut the guard down throughout the second half. He eventually finished with 18.

With two of their best players absent, the Hawks struggled to find answers on the offensive end of the court.

Eventually Emmett Naar stepped up, Illawarra finding their rhythm and threatening to finish over the top of their rivals. Sam Froling also found his groove, leading the both teams with 22 points, and adding 12 rebounds.

The defeat came on the night Illawarra honoured their 2001 premiership stars, the team commemorating 20 years since their NBL finals victory.

The match opened in grinding fashion, the Hawks defensive energy restricting the Kings offense.

Ware was kept relatively quiet throughout the opening quarter, Illawarra leading 16-15 at the first intermission thanks to a late Justin Simon three.

The visitors started to find their groove in the second quarter, the Kings asserting their authority as the Hawks struggled to make their shots.

It was Ware who led the charge, the guard registering 12 first-half points as his side led 40-34 at midway point.

Sydney burst out of the gates to start the third quarter, opening with a 10-2 run to extend their lead to 14.

With Naar running the offense, Illawarra slowly reeled their opponents in, cutting the deficit to four with 10 minutes of regulation to play.

The final quarter hung in the balance throughout the early stages, neither team able take control of the match.

The trend continued for the remainder of the period, 40 minutes not enough to determine a result. Ultimately, however, it was the Kings who claimed the victory.