A more aggressive Zylan Cheatham and John Jenkins were significant especially early in Game 3 for the Adelaide 36ers and coach Mike Wells knows they'll need to keep it going if they are going to force the NBL Championship Series to a Game 5.

World renowned shooter and scorer Jenkins had just 15 shot attempts and 22 points across the first two games of the Championship Series, but he came out on fire in Sunday's Game 3 in front of a record crowd at Qudos Bank Arena.

He made all four of his three-pointers in the first quarter for 14 points while Cheatham had turned down shot after shot so far in the series with just 15 attempts across the first two games.

That changed as well and he had 17 points on 8/12 shooting even with the 36ers ending up losing by 13 to the Kings to now need to win in Adelaide on Wednesday and back in Sydney next Sunday to win a first championship since 2002.

Not only did Wells like what Cheatham and Jenkins did in Game 3, but also Flynn Cmaeron's 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Nick Rakocevic and Isaac Humphries combining for 24 points and six rebounds as centres.

"We held in there and I felt my guys really, really competed and we had a lot of things go our way and we kept playing, and I thought Zylan had some great minutes," Wells said.

"I thought Flynn (Cameron) did everything he could try to do, I thought the bigs were battling and trying to be in different coverages and I thought John Jenkins with his shooting.

"He really shows his veteran poise and his ability to make shots on the road, and this is really a tough environment to play in and the crowd was great so that's what John does.

"You saw some veteran leadership and those were good things."

When you have teammates like Bryce Cotton, DJ Vasiljevic and Cameron especially demanding a lot of looks, it's not always easy for Jenkins to keep getting the number that he did when he came on in the first quarter, but Wells has full faith in him.

"There's always that balance and he got hot and cooking, and we found him a little bit there and he made a few players, but then you miss a couple and you wonder if he's a little bit tired or if we need to try and get him another shot or two," Wells said.

"He cooled off there a little bit and then he came back, but that's just the rhythm of the game to be honest with you and I know John's a true professional, and we've been looking for that way to get him in the game and searching for it.

"I think I've got it and it's better late than never to be honest with you, but I've seen him with USA Basketball in some FIBA windows and he had a game in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a Friday night that was just unbelievable.

"Then we turned around two nights later and we played in Havana, Cuba, and if you're with USA Basketball you don't get to play in Cuba very often and I think it's only happened twice.

"He's made play after play after play in those sort of environments, and I know that he can do that, and that balance with BC, Flynn, Z and I know I have a lot of weapons, and we've connected the whole year on a whole lot of different stuff."

What Wells has loved that Cheatham has brought to the 36ers is all season is how many things he does, and does well.

He's a brilliant athlete which can lead to highlight offensive and defensive plays at the rim, but he's also someone who pulls everything together on defence. Offensively can help create looks for shooters with his screening, passing or just his presence.

He doesn't always back himself to shoot, though, and he did that more on Sunday.

Wells wants him to keep doing that in Game 4 on Wednesday, and hopefully Game 5 back in Sydney next Sunday.

"It's hard to describe what he does for our group, he's such a connector and I think that's the best way to describe him and he does connect us on both sides of the ball," Wells said.

"He's got such a role and him and Bryce have great chemistry, and he captains us on both sides of the ball and we love what he does.

"It pains me in the last couple of minutes to try and go a little bit smaller and have to play a little bit different to see if we can take a shot and make a couple of threes to take him out, but that's always my debate when I go small like that which big I want to leave out there.

"It's a feel moment and I've kinda gone every way on that this year, but he's a tremendous player and probably an even better person."

Chris Pike

Cheatham, Jenkins need to stay aggressive