Adelaide 36ers coach Mike Wells is content with riding the underdog tag right to the end as a gripping NBL championship series against Sydney reaches its climax.
The Sixers will have to buck a trend if they are to upset the Kings and banish a 24-year title drought, with both sides unbeaten at home throughout the post-season.
Brian Goorjian's Kings will enjoy familiar surrounds at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, when superstar rivals Bryce Cotton and Kendric Davis face off again with the title on the line.
"We've been the underdogs all year, I mean, (the media) has hammered us all season and so we'll play that card as long as we need to," Wells said.
"Statistically you're not supposed to win a close-out game on the road ... so our challenges are huge.
"We need to win on their home court and it's going to be a heck of a challenge."
Adelaide, who were pipped by Sydney for regular-season honours, were beaten by 44 and 13 points on the road in games one and three of the championship series.
But they forced the decider with narrow home wins in games two and four.
It has been a series littered with huge moments, with Sixers linchpin Cotton and Kings counterpart Davis trading blows throughout as the central figures on the court.
"They both are just exceptional players. We're so lucky to have them both in the league," Wells said.
"You end up playing somebody this many times and you know each other - that's what's great about it.
"It's a little bit of a chess match because you know each other so well and a play is going to determine it, maybe a substitution at the right time.
"The ball's going to bounce one way or another and I think we're pretty evenly matched, although nobody else thinks we are, but we're excited about at least the opportunity to be in that game."
There has also been controversy off the court throughout the series, with Sydney co-owner and assistant coach Andrew Bogut allegedly body-shaming Sixers owner Grant Kelley before dodging questions from reporters about the incident.
Wells and Goorjian have also exchanged barbs while their teams have done battle on the hardwood, but Kings star Xavier Cooks said both sides will be locked in at tip-off.
"It's a real rivalry and building up ... but what I don't like is taking away from a great series," Cooks said.
"It's been an unbelievable series and I don't want things on the side of the court to take away from it."
History is on the Kings' side as they chase their first title since going back-to-back in 2022-23.
Four of the last eight title series have gone to a deciding fifth game, including the last three in succession, and only one of those has been won by an away team - Tasmania in 2024.
"We worked our arse off to have home-court advantage for these moments," Cooks said.
"We haven't really spoken about it but once we get into the game and we feel the energy from the crowd it helps us out so much."
