Johny Narkle came home to WA, hit a four-point play and lit the fuse for a 21-12 finish and a Hawks win.

A West Australian homecoming, a four-point play and a 21-12 finish gave us a 105-98 win in Perth.

We opened the road gauntlet with a 105-98 win over the Perth Wildcats at RAC Arena, and it took everything we had. We led by as many as 15, Perth dragged it back to 84-84 and then went ahead 86-84 with 4:40 to play, and from there we outscored them 21-12. The player who turned it was a West Australian in his home state: Johny Narkle.

Right in front of Perth’s bench

Perth led 86-84 and Narkle answered. He hit a three right in front of the Perth bench, was fouled by Dylan Windler on the shot and made the free throw. A rare four-point play and we were in front 88-86 with 4:21 to play.

He was not done. Narkle hustled down an offensive rebound off a Harvey miss, was fouled on another three-point attempt and hit all three free throws to make it 91-86. With 1:47 left he stole the ball, got it to William “Davo” Hickey and sprinted off to finish with a dunk for 96-88. With three seconds left he blocked Brandon Knight’s reverse layup and collected the rebound.

Nine of his 11 points came in the fourth quarter. He was four from four at the line, grabbed seven rebounds to equal his NBL career high, added two steals and a block, and was plus 11 in just over 15 minutes on the floor.

Maker’s nine-point first quarter

Makur Maker set the tone with nine points on 4 from 5 in the first quarter, including a lefty scoop layup, a three, and a block that sent Knight’s layup into the stands after Knight had crossed Davo off the dribble. We led 24-19 at the first break. Maker finished with 21 points on 7 from 11, five from six at the line and two threes.

Five triples off the bench

Kelan Martin was the spark: 23 points on 8 from 15, with five threes from ten attempts, which equalled his NBL career high for threes. He had 13 at the half, including a three out of our timeout and another straight off a Milton Doyle block on Kristian Doolittle, then added 10 after the break. That included a three off a Harvey assist for 94-88 and the two free throws that made it 105-98.

Wani in front of home-state friends

Wani Swaka Lo Buluk was far more aggressive at the offensive end in front of his home-state friends. He shook Elijah Pepper to the ground, stepped back for a three to make it 31-28, then followed with a fade-away for 35-31. In the third he hit two more threes, the first for 65-50, our biggest lead of the game at 15, and the second for 78-64. He finished with 15 points, three threes from five, and closed with two free throws for 103-98.

Fifteen assists from two players

Hickey did the glue work: nine points, eight rebounds and eight assists, plus an enormous block on a Dell’Orso layup. With 57 seconds left he freelanced his way to a layup for 98-90. Assistant coach Tom Cranney was quick on the video too, winning a second successful coach’s challenge to get possession back after it had been given to Perth with the game still in the balance.

Harvey was 1 from 7 at the half and his trademark floater was not falling, but he kept hunting the open shot, hit his first three of the game for 38-31 and finished with 11 points and seven assists. Two of those assists came in the fourth, on Narkle’s four-point play and Martin’s three. When Perth were pushing, he answered with a floater for 82-78 and a fade-away for 84-81.

Won on the glass and bench

We out-rebounded Perth 45-30, with 16 offensive boards. Our bench outscored theirs 47-33. We had 25 assists to their 18, hit 13 threes to their 9, and made 18 of 22 free throws against Perth’s 17 of 18. We held the lead for 35:55 of the game. Perth held it for 47 seconds.

Seventeen turnovers, still a win

The honest part: we turned it over 17 times to Perth’s 8, and the Wildcats had 11 steals. In the third quarter the ball stopped moving for the first time all game, and a 15-point lead was down to nine at the final break, 78-69. Perth’s fans lifted when two offensive rebounds in a row made it 78-71 early in the fourth, and commentator Damien Martin pointed to our stagnant offence as Perth’s way back in. They got there, level at 84-84 and then ahead.

They had one last push. A Hawks backcourt turnover became an and-one for Perth with under 30 seconds left, and Dell’Orso’s floater made it 101-98 with 16 seconds to go. Wani went to the line and hit both, Narkle blocked Knight, and Martin finished it at the stripe.

Perth made us earn it. Anthony Dell’Orso led them with 21 points, Windler had 19 points, 10 rebounds and four steals, and Doolittle added 16 points and seven assists.

10,658 at RAC Arena

A crowd of 10,658 made it a proper test, and Perth’s fans lifted when the Wildcats started their fourth-quarter charge. Hawkheads, wherever you were watching, that was a fourth quarter worth staying up for.

Cast your Greater Bank Game MVP vote

Greater Bank, the Hawks’ Platinum Partner, presents the fan vote for Greater Bank Game MVP after every game.

The candidates on their numbers: Kelan Martin, 23 points and five threes. Makur Maker, 21 points on 7 from 11. Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, 15 points and three threes. Johny Narkle, 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals. William Hickey, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Tyler Harvey, 7 assists.

Over to you, Hawkheads.

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Next stop, Cairns

The Road Gauntlet rolls on to Cairns for a Thursday night game against the Taipans: Thursday 5 November, 7:30pm, Cairns Convention Centre. Two days later we are at Adelaide Entertainment Centre against the 36ers (Saturday 7 November, 5:30pm), and the Gauntlet finishes back at RAC Arena against Perth on Saturday 14 November.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL27 (Boxscore)

‍Illawarra Hawks 105 (Kelan Martin 23, Makur Maker 21, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk 15, Tyler Harvey 11, Johny Narkle 11, William Hickey 9, Sam Froling 7, Milton Doyle 4, Todd Blanchfield 2, Daniel Grida 2)
Perth Wildcats 98 (Anthony Dell'Orso 21, Dylan Windler 19, Kristian Doolittle 16, Elijah Pepper 13, Brandon Knight 12, Jesse Wagstaff 8, Angus Brandt 5, Cameron Huefner 4)

Press Conference Presented by Relativity Films

Highlights

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Banner photo: Halim Mellick