New Zealand, having recovered from 71 for three in Christchurch, ended the day trailing Pakistan's first innings 297 by just 11 runs with seven wickets in hand.
Williamson, newly installed as the world's number one Test batsman, was unbeaten on 112, his 24th century, with Nicholls on 89.
It is Williamson's third century in as many Tests in the past month, although fortune was on his side. Late in the day, he was dropped twice and survived a run out when the bail had only partially dislodged in the split second it took to get his bat across the crease.
Pakistan, without a win in 10 away Tests since 2018, would have felt their luck was changing when New Zealand slumped from 52 without loss to 71 for three when Ross Taylor departed in the fifth over after lunch.
It could have been four for 74 when Nicholls was given out early, caught behind, only for the dismissal to be reversed by the TV umpire who detected Shaheen Afridi's delivery was a no ball.
With New Zealand in trouble, Williamson was all patience as he took 70 deliveries to reach 20, but he then put the foot down.
The next 30 runs came off 35 balls to reach 50 and it took another 35 balls to race from 50 to 100.
When Nicholls reached his 11th half-century with a two to square leg, Pakistan were very aware of the consequences of Afridi's no ball when the left-hander was on three.
New Zealand started their innings on a positive note with openers Tom Latham and Tom Blundell in a 52-run stand.
The pitch, although drying, continued to offer the bounce and movement which New Zealand exploited on day one, but with Latham and Blundell taking guard well in front of the crease the Pakistan bowlers were forced to adjust their lines.
The breakthrough came when Faheem Ashraf had a ball jag back sharply and rap Blundell's pads.
In the following over, Afridi found the edge of Latham's bat with the ball flying to Shan Masood who spilled the catch at second slip only for his blushes to be spared by the quick reflexes of Haris Sohail who grasped the rebound from first slip.
It was a period when the Pakistan quicks, having found a good line and length, had New Zealand in a vice-like grip.
In five overs either side of lunch, New Zealand scored only five runs before Abbas found the edge of Taylor's bat and that time Masood made no mistake.
Masood later failed to pouch difficult chances from Williamson on 82 and 107, while Mohammad Rizwan dropped Nicholls on 86.
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