Game preview: Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets | RD6 NBL27

Presented by Lower Crown Quarter

No time to dwell on Thursday night’s loss to Sydney. The Gong barely gets a breather before the Brisbane Bullets game on Saturday, and Hawkheads know what that means: locked in, loud and ready to go again.

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This one is built for the whole family. A 5:30pm tip means an early start and home in time for dinner, and if you are bringing the kids, a family of 4 can get in for $99. It is also our last home game for a month, so Saturday is the night to get the Sandpit rocking before we hit the road.

The Bullets landed in Wollongong on Thursday after their loss in Tasmania on Wednesday, and they took in our game against the Kings from the stands. Now they get a much closer look at us.

Justin Tatum has already named the fix. After the Kings game he pointed to moments of “going rogue offensively” and said moving the ball is a must. Every trip has to end in the “best shot possible”. We have won only one game at home so far, the 114-92 win over Adelaide in the home opener. Saturday is our chance to give Hawkheads another.

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The matchup

Season series: Bullets lead 1-0. Brisbane won 103-95 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday 25th September in Round 2, ending our seven-game winning run against them. That game was there for the taking:

• We trailed by 18 in the second quarter, cut it to eight by half time and to one in the fourth (90-91), before Brisbane closed on a 10-0 run.
• The line decided it. Brisbane went 16 of 23, we went 5 of 14. That is an 11-point gap in an eight-point game.
• Max Mackinnon went for 31 points, 12 rebounds and 6 of 8 from three. Tyler Harvey answered with 20 and four threes, Milton Doyle had 16 and Johny Narkle 15.

Scouting the Bullets

Arnas Velicka, who had 17 points and 11 assists against us in Round 2, is out for two months. Former NBA veteran Raul Neto stepped in and made his debut in Tasmania. Tyrell Harrison and Jacob Holt both missed Wednesday and are considered doubtful.

• Max Mackinnon, dangerous from deep: 17.7 points a game, shooting 44.2% from three on 7.4 attempts a night. He lit us up for six threes in Round 2.
• Nate Hinton, physical and disruptive: 17.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 steals a game. He had 16 against us last time.
• Raul Neto, the new man at the controls: nine points and six assists in under 14 minutes on debut. Expect Brisbane to run through him.

If Harrison does play, remember he averages 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds and is the Bullets’ physical presence inside.

Keys to victory

Trust the offence. Tatum’s message is clear: no going rogue, no one-on-one stalls. We are second in the league for assists at 21.7 a game. Move it, make Brisbane defend, and the best shot will find us.

Lock down the arc and the ball. Opponents are shooting 50.5% against us, so it starts here. Find Mackinnon on every catch. The Bullets turn it over 13.7 times a game, level with Melbourne United for the most in the league, and we average 6.2 steals. Turn those mistakes into our points.

Own the glass. Brisbane lead the league with 46.7 rebounds and 17.9 offensive rebounds a game. They beat us 51 to 44 last time. Box out, finish possessions and kill the second chances.

Win the stripe. An 11-point free throw gap beat us in Round 2. Brisbane shoot 67.5% from the line this season, the lowest in the league. Get there, make them count, and keep our hands off.

Game details

Who: Illawarra Hawks vs Brisbane Bullets
When: Saturday 24th October 2026, 5:30pm AEDT
Where: WIN Entertainment Centre
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Watch: Every game is live on ESPN Disney+
Info: Game Day Guide
NBL Theme: Rookie Round