Basketball On The Internet.

AN NBL record attendance of 18,049 at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena tonight watched mesmerised as the defending champion Kings banged a nail into New Zealand's coffin with a comprehensive 91-68 rout, built on a second half defensive masterclass and a reasonably acceptable contribution by Tim Soares.

The import centre has been a disappointment across the playoffs but stepped up with 14 points at 67 per cent, six rebounds, a steal and three blocks in 26 productive minutes.

Soares was one of six Kings in double-figures - Dejan Vasiljevic 15, Justin Simon 13, Derrick Walton Jr 12, Angus Glover 11, Xavier Cooks 10 the others - Jaylin Galloway not far behind with nine.

That's what you call a team effort.

It was evident early that New Zealand had not fully shaken the devastation of its massive bungle of Game 2 in Auckland and that the momentum in the series now had shifted back to the defending champion.

The Breakers started well enough and led after one and again at halftime 47-43. But their inability to convert some great defence into scoreboard pressure meant once Sydney ramped up the heat after the main interval, all the self-doubt from Game 2 emerged, meaning a disaster loomed for the visitors.

Behind the roaring of the largest crowd at an NBL match, New Zealand started to fall apart in the third quarter, mustering a meagre 12 points to 24.

And any thoughts of a comeback were laid to rest when seasoned referee Michael Aylen rewarded a blatant Shaun Bruce flop by pinning the foul on Jarell Brantley. It just happened to be his fifth.

Then equally feted referee Vaughan Mayberry rewarded Bruce for another obscene flop which meant Rob Loe was bowing out of the game. That is until the Video Review Centre reversed this second shocking miscarriage of justice.

It made no real difference in the end as New Zealand was smothered and held to nine points in the final quarter - that's 21 for the half - and Sydney stormed to a 23-point victory.

Game 4 on Sunday in Auckland presents the Breakers with a monumental challenge to keep the Championship Series alive, with the Kings earning their 2-1 lead and playing with house money across the Tasman.

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (NBL GRAND FINALS) Best-of-5
Game 1: NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 95 (McDowell-White, Brown Jr 19, Brantley 16; McDowell-White 9 rebs; McDowell-White 9 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 87 (Simon 18, Hunter 15, Walton 12, Vasiljevic 11; Simon 6 rebs; Walton 6 assts) at Qudos Bank Arena. Crowd: 13,145
Game 2: SYDNEY KINGS 81 (Noi 20, Vasiljevic 16, Simon, Glover 12; Hunter 10 rebs; Bruce 3 assts) d NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 74 (Brown 21, Brantley 20, Le’Afa 14; Pardon 11 rebs; McDowell-White 4 assts) at Spark Arena. Crowd: 8,429
Game 3: SYDNEY KINGS 91 (Vasiljevic 15, Soares 14, Simon 13, Walton 12, Glover 11, Cooks 10; Cooks 8 rebs; Walton 9 assts) d NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 68 (McDowell-White 11, Brantley, Rupert, Brown 10; McDowell-White, Le’Afa 6 rebs; Brown, Le’Afa 3 assts) at Qudos Bank Arena. Crowd: 18,049

Kings lead series 2-1