MELBOURNE Tigers seem to play best when everything is on the line.


Entering the second half of their clash with Adelaide 36ers at Adelaide Arena on Sunday, the Tigers' entire season stood ready to fall apart with star imports Seth Scott and Jonny Flynn on three fouls each and the team trailing 48-37.


A win would have had the Tigers in third spot, a loss would see them fall back to fourth or even fifth.


But the return to the court of Scott (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Flynn (13 points, five assists) at the start of the term led to a Tigers surge with the visitors running up 26 points to 11 in the quarter to take a slim three-quarter-time lead before powering home in the final term for an 84-71 victory. The Tigers scored 47 points in the second half to just 23 from the home side.


Tigers forward Adam Ballinger, who crossed to Melbourne from Adelaide in the off-season, led his new side with 18 points, including some key first-half baskets, while Chris Goulding shone in the second half on his way to 16 points.


Reserve forward Liam Rush had one of his best performances of the season with 15 points.


Tigers coach Chris Anstey said his team had made its best comeback of the season and was ready to face league leaders New Zealand Breakers and Perth Wildcats in the coming weeks.


''I think we just realised the importance of it [the match],'' Anstey said. ''We weren't prepared to let this game slide and we ended up with our best comeback of the season and turned it into one of our biggest [margin] wins.''


Anstey praised the work of Ballinger, Rush and reserve centre Matt Burston, who all played more minutes to cover for Smith and Flynn who sat out the whole second quarter.


''It was the bench guys, the second five, who did the job. A lot of it was Ballinger, he played more continuous minutes than usual and had a hell of a game, Burston played a longer stretch. Rush showed what he can do once his confidence is high.''


The Tigers did well to overcome a lop-sided foul count with the Sixers shooting 18 of 31 free throws while the visitors shot 13 of 16.


The Tigers host Perth in Melbourne on Sunday.


''We have greater belief now that we can beat anyone in the league - we will get the perfect chance to have crack at them on our court this week,'' Anstey said.


■Tess Madgen and the Bulleen Boomers needed a little luck in their 77-75 win over Canberra Capitals at the Veneto Club on Sunday.


After holding a comfortable lead entering the final minute, the Boomers missed several foul shots (Madgen four), while the Capitals made consecutive shots to tie the game at 75 with six seconds left.


The Boomers threw to Madgen (25 points) who used a screen from Hollie Florance to find room for a running shot that landed just before the buzzer. ''It was not pretty, I just threw it up there and it banked in,'' Madgen said.


Alice Kunek led the Boomers with 28 points while Jess Bibby had 25 for the Capitals.


Dandenong made a clean-sweep of its Queensland road-double beating Logan Thunder 100-62 on Sunday.


Both Bulleen and Dandenong host third-placed Adelaide Lighting in Melbourne in the final round of the WNBL season at the weekend.