The playoff-bound South Dragons received another late season reality check, having to survive a storming Adelaide 36ers fightback and overtime to post a two-point NBL win at The Arena on Wednesday night.

In a match they led virtually throughout, the Dragons were up by 15 points midway through the final term and seemingly cruising to a much-needed victory.

But the Sixers powered back into the contest to tie up the game with a Lanard Copeland three-pointer with the final shot of regular time.

The home side then had to pull out all stops in overtime to win 149-147.

A last-second block by three Dragons defenders on Adelaide guard Brett Maher as he drove to the basket eventually secured the win.

The Dragons' final quarter collapse to an opponent not in finals contention will set the alarm bells ringing ahead of the NBL newcomers' playoff debut next week.

The seventh-placed Dragons play either Cairns or Townsville and after a disappointing loss to Singapore last weekend, didn't get the momentum they sought ahead of the playoffs despite being in control for most of the match.

Both the Dragons and the Sixers played like the Harlem Globetrotters in the opening two quarters, in a half virtually free of defence and filled with hot perimeter shooting.

The Dragons were at one stage shooting 80 per cent from the field and netted over 70 per cent from the perimeter in the first half to contribute to a mammoth 81-68 halftime scoreline.

But Adelaide put up the defensive shutters early in the third quarter to claw back into the match, going on a 18-5 run to level the scores as the Dragons' hot hands cooled.

The home side lifted late in the term to punch the lead out to 14 points by the final change and by 15 early in the fourth.

Then the Sixers came out of nowhere as the Dragons stopped to a walk to force the game into overtime.

The Dragons, who have qualified for the playoffs in their first season, now have a 15-18 win-loss record.

Adelaide, who have one more fixture match remaining, are 10-22.

Adelaide centre Nick Horvath led all scorers with 34 points, while the Dragons' Kavossy Franklin top-scored for his side with 32.

Also impressive for the Dragons were forward Jacob Holmes, with 28 points and 14 rebounds, and import Rosell Ellis, with 22 rebounds - 17 on the defensive end.

Sixers players including Maher, and coach Phil Smyth, were dumbfounded by the referees not calling a foul on the game-deciding play.

If a foul had been called on Maher's drive to the basket - and most neutral observers thought there was a legitimate case - the Sixers would have had the opportunity to take the match into double overtime.

"I don't think there was any grey area in it, and you guys saw it, but that's just the way the game goes," Smyth said.

"But it was a great game, great for the people that were here, and it had everything that basketball should have."

Dragons coach Shane Heal was pleased with his side not crumbling after being taken to overtime, and said he would stress the positives ahead of their sudden-death playoff next week.

"I was happy with the way the guys fought it out, and we really could have gone backwards after they hit that shot to go into overtime," Heal said.

"It didn't happen. We got the lead again and managed to hold on and we'll take that as a positive going into the finals."

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