It was the kind of all-round performance most knew the Kings had in them, and might just be the spark to their lifeless season they so desperately needed.

If the concentration on coach Damian Cotter's face was anything to go by pre-game, this encounter was the Kings' most important so far this season.

There was no shortage of adversity, mostly in the form of injury and illness. With Josh Childress still recovering from a fractured hand, the Kings were dealt a further blow as Steve Markovic watched from the stands due to a mystery bug.

Harrington and Thornton were also under pressure to sort out Sydney's shambolic defence, while for Cotter, he knew his position was under the microscope and another below-par performance would hardly satisfy a success-hungry board.

Ironically, Harrington and Thornton combined for the first basket, but when Anthony Petrie had a uninterrupted run to the rim seconds later, Cotter could only manage a small shake of the head, wondering if this was going to be another one of those nights.

It wasn't to be, however, as the Kings stormed home with their classiest display for weeks and relieved the pressure valve, for now.

And where was Josh Childress in the wake of his post-match referee spray after Saturday's game against the 36ers? He was 13 kilometres away, parked on the couch at his home in Putney, more than likely analysing the game with dog Beast.

Apart from Cotter, Childress has been the team's harshest critic when it comes to defence - their Achilles heel this year - and he would have been stoked with the team's ability to read plays and rush Adelaide's players to greater effect.

It's often believed the first of something, be it in any sport, sets the tone for the remainder of the battle - the first ball of a Test match, or even the opening hit-up in a rugby league game.

So when Harrington missed the first free throw, there were audible groans from supporters who, like Cotter, would have thought it was the start of another defeat.

After trailing by a point at quarter time, it was Harrington who sparked the Kings' dominant second quarter which put them ahead by 15 points at the main break.

With an air of confidence, Harrington charged at the 36ers' Lucas Waker and bumped him to the ground before reaching over for a big slam dunk.

It even brought a rare smile to Cotter's face, which then turned into a big grin when the 206-cm NBA veteran nailed two three-pointers in the space of 21 seconds to help the Kings to a 55-40 lead at half time.

Adelaide reduced the deficit in the third quarter – something that would have no doubt been at the back of Sydney's mind after stumbling at the final hurdle in their 99-98 loss on Saturday.

But a Jason Cadee three-pointer from distance put the Kings up 72-63 with a quarter to go. His 22 points significantly helped his besieged side notch up their third win of the year.