Game Preview - Hawks v Breakers

Confidence is sky-high after Justin Tatum's men secured a comprehensive 18-point victory against the Perth Wildcats on Thursday night.

The Hawks led from start to finish to deliver one of the more complete performances of the season. After giving up 93 and 96 points across their last two outings, the defensive grit was back in a big way against the Wildcats, keeping the league's leading scorer to just two made field goals and limiting the home side to just 77 for the game.

Gary Clark and Todd Blanchfield led the way for the Hawks, while Tyler Harvey and Hyunjung Lee made big buckets down the stretch to keep the Cats at bay. Justin Robinson came off the bench to lead the second unit, and while Blanchfield was lighting it up from the perimeter, young gun Lachie Olbrich was dominant on the offensive glass and was impactful in his 13 minutes on the court.

The Breakers present a similar challenge to the Hawks this afternoon, with a potent backcourt of Jackson-Cartwright and McDowell-White complementing a front line that includes Anthony Lamb, Zylan Cheatham, Tom Abercrombie and former Hawks Mangok Mathiang.

The Justin Tatum era began with a win in New Zealand against the Breakers, and today's victory will see the Hawks take the season series between the two teams.

They are all must-win games from here, but today's game will go a long way to shaping the six come the end of the weekend. Only percentage separates the two teams on the competition standings, and the Hawks will be desperate for the win and return to the play-in picture.

Opposition Watch

The New Zealand Breakers hit the 'Gong with a 10-12 record coming off a 94-88 home win against Tasmania on Friday night.

The Breakers are led by one of the league's best import trios, Parker-Cartwright, Lamb, and Cheatham. Lamb and Jackson-Cartright are top 6 in scoring league-wide, while Cheatham has been a human highlight reel since his return from injury.

Next Star Mantas Rubstavicius has been a revelation since being inserted into the starting lineup, and the sharpshooter is a constant threat from deep. It will keep the Hawks' perimeter defence honest.

Coach Maor is not afraid to go deep into his bench and expect the likes of Le'afa, McDowell-White, and Abercrombie to feature at times.

Don't Miss the Action 

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster for today's match at www.hawks.com.au/tickets 

Be in your seats by 1.45 pm for lights out, with the action to tip-off at 2.00 pm.