Inspired performances by injured guard Dontaye Draper and forward Isiah Victor has lifted the Sydney Kings back from the dead to take their NBL grand final series against Melbourne into a fifth and deciding game.

The Kings staged easily the biggest last-quarter comeback in a grand final match in NBL history, charging from 13 points down at the last change to win 90-87 to level the series at 2-2.

They had trailed by as much as 18 points late in the third term.

The previous largest three-quarter time deficit overcome in a grand final match was six points.

Draper, who was not expected to play because of a hamstring injury, sat on the bench for almost all of the first three quarters.

But, after coming on late in the third term, he scored eight points in the final quarter, including two crucial three-pointers, to help lift his side.

Victor was superb, piling on 12 points in the last term, including two three-pointers, to finish with 23 points and nine rebounds and lift his side back from a seemingly impossible position.

Melbourne Tigers centre Chris Anstey was unlucky to be on the losing side, after a monster of a game, scoring 33 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

He dominated as Melbourne went on a 20-6 burst late in the third quarter, which took them to an 18-point lead and seemed to have them in complete control, before Sydney managed to whittle the deficit back to 13 by the last change.

The Kings had earlier seemed to have everything going against them.

They came into the match on the back of their first back-to-back losses for the season and with injury queries over captain Jason Smith (shoulder), big man Russell Hinder (chest) and Draper.

They were also hurt by foul trouble on Wednesday night.

Centre Ian Crosswhite had four fouls to his name by halftime, star forward Mark Worthington went to the long break with three, while guard Luke Kendall picked up his fourth with a technical foul early in the third quarter.

They also didn't have a single foul shot in the first half.

Kings coach Brian Goorjian said it was the best win he had been involved in his long and decorated coaching career.

"I can't remember one better," he said.

"Due to how game three ended and just the feeling of things when we came into this and then the process we went through to win this game.

"I haven't been any more pumped than I am now and I know my team feels that way."

Goorjian said he had not intended to use Draper because of his fitness concern, but thankfully the import begged him to go on, and he relented.

He described that scene and the way it swung the match as "like a Walt Disney movie".

A scuffle broke out between team officials from both sides immediately after the match and Goorjian said poor crowd behaviour, as well as the emotion of the game, contributed.

"I don't know what has got into the competition, but I'll tell you this, there's a whole different level of what you take from the crowd in a game," he said.

Tigers coach Al Westover said he told his devastated team after the match that they had to keep their heads up as the series was still going.

"Our guys were pretty disappointed, when you're up by 12 or 13 going into the last quarter it's one you should put away," he said.

He said it had mainly come down to the Tigers failing to make open shots, while the Kings took their opportunities and he said perhaps Melbourne became a little tight under pressure.

A grand final series has only stretched to five games once before, with the Kings triumphant against West Sydney in 2004, when they also recovered from a 2-1 series deficit.

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