The Sydney Kings got a fright before holding on for a 103-94 overtime win against a determined New Zealand Breakers at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

With the NBL match locked 87-87 at fulltime, successive three-pointers from Luke Kendall and Jason Smith got the home side in front 94-89 in the extra period before Glen Saville extended the lead to seven.

Dontaye Draper and Kendall then showed their cool at the free-throw line to ensure the victory and send the crowd of more than 4000 into celebrations.

The Breakers led by nine points at halftime, the Kings by one at the last break, and the final term see-sawed before being locked up.

Kings captain Smith scored a game-high 23 points, while Ian Crosswhite netted 20 and Draper 18.

For the Breakers, Tony Ronaldson shot 20 points, Kirk Penney grabbed 18 and Phill Jones 16.

The Kings overcame both Christmas and a 13-day break since their last match to go 17-2 at the top of the NBL ladder, the equal fourth best start to an NBL season.

It was also a fifth straight win for Brian Goorjian's side.

The Breakers continued a woeful run against Sydney, now 2-12, and have still only ever won once at the Entertainment Centre.

They are 10-9 for the season.

The two sides had traded punches early in an intense opening term to be locked at 21-21 at the first break, neither able to open up a lead.

The Kiwis' long-range bombers found their targets in the second and the Breakers at one stage jumped out to an 11-point buffer.

The New Zealanders landed six long shots, while only the free-throw line and Jason Smith, with two three-pointers of his own, were keeping the Kings in touch and the home side went to the long break down 47-38.

But a fired-up Kings lifted it a cog in the third, running the length of the court for the first three baskets of the period to slash the deficit to three and, after some push and shove in the Breakers' key, going to the break up 66-65.

Goorjian was relieved his side saw off the desperate Breakers as he seeks to secure a top-two finish and the semi-final berth that comes with it.

"I was pleased with a danger game tonight and winning, how we won," he said.

"We knew coming into this we weren't going to blow anyone out. This was going to be a fight, a war.

"We did a good job of taking it to the rim, we did a good job on the boards, they're a bitch on the glass ... and we executed pretty well ourselves down the stretch and made big plays.

"These type of games make a difference in getting one of those (top two) spots."

Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis agreed the game was the one that got away.

"It does feel like one that we should have got, we should have got this one," he said.

"I was pleased to see the level that this group could play at now.

"It's kind of a new group that's finding its way and we certainly showed that there's a level there that we're capable of playing at which is pleasing."

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