Spirit grab last minute win over 36ers

Sydney Spirit guard Derrick Low again proved a match stealer to guide his team to a final seconds 110-108 victory over Adelaide at the Olympic Park centre.

The Spirit and the 36ers are in the lower half of the NBL and a win was important to keep alive any play-off chances.

"I think we can make the top six but anyone from fifth to 10th can make the semi-finals," Spirit coach Rob Beveridge said.

"I'm still frustrated at our mistakes, some of which were bad but the leadership by Jason Smith is what we have missed."

Smith was everywhere for the Spirit who started Friday night's game in seventh place after a poor beginning to the season.

Adelaide seemed to have the match wrapped up at halftime but faltered under the spirited charge by the Sydney team in the final quarter.

"We had expectations with a 16-point lead that we would go on and win the game and but we switched off in the third quarter after scoring so easily," Adelaide coach Scott Ninnis said.

Sydney matched Adelaide throughout the third quarter which was dominated by an 18-point run from Adelaide forward Adam Ballinger.

The giant American was unstoppable with his outside shooting and only 11 points, including three triples from Sydney's Low kept the home team in touch.

Adelaide stepped up further in the second quarter to outplay Sydney 33-22 and held a 16-point lead halfway through the session.

After trailing by one point at the end of the first quarter the Sydney team went into the halftime break with Adelaide leading 63-51.

However midway into the third quarter the tempo changed as Sydney came alive and began pegging back the Adelaide lead.

The Adelaide players tightened and became tentative as Matthew Knight and Smith took Sydney to within four points to begin the last quarter.

Guards Brett Maher and Aaron Bruce each sank successive threes for the visitors but Sydney came back with similar long range shots from Low, Julian Khazzouh and Clint Reed.

Sydney snatched a two-point advantage with five minutes remaining and a turnover by Adelaide and a Sydney steal in the final two minutes ensured victory for the Spirit.

Low topscored for Sydney with 24 points while Ballinger was best for Adelaide with a match-high 29.