Game Recap: Hawks @ S.E. Melbourne Phoenix | RD3 NBL27

The result didn't go our way. The Phoenix won 113-96 at John Cain Arena in a battle of two 1-3 sides, riding 16 threes after arriving ice cold from deep. But our new big man gave Hawkheads plenty to get excited about, scoring 14 points on 7 of 11 shooting in his first game in our colours, and he and Milton Doyle already look like they've been doing this for years.

We shot the better percentage from the field, 47 per cent to 45, and won the fight inside the arc by a mile. The three-point line told a different story.

Off the plane and into the paint

Makur Maker landed from the USA on Friday morning. By Sunday afternoon he was dunking on the S.E. Melbourne Phoenix.

"He's cleared through all the medical and everything, and he was itching to get in today," Justin Tatum said on Friday night. On Sunday, Maker got his chance, and he didn't waste a second of it.

He checked in a little over three minutes into the game alongside Davo Hickey, and the impact was immediate. A block at one end. A sprint down the floor and a finish inside at the other. Then back-to-back dunks. By quarter time he had 6 points on 3 of 4 and a block.

Maker finished with 14 points on 7 of 11, four rebounds and a block in 21 minutes and 57 seconds.

The Doyle to Maker connection

If Maker was the finisher, Milton Doyle was the man setting the table. Doyle handed out 11 assists, equalling his NBL career high, to go with 14 points, three steals and a perfect 4 of 4 at the line, in a team-high 32 minutes and 21 seconds.

Three times we can point to, Doyle found Maker: a first-quarter dunk, a bucket that put us in front 27-25 in the second, and a huge alley-oop in the third that brought the visiting bench to its feet. For a pairing that hasn't shared a full practice, the timing was already there.

Johny Narkle's night of new highs

Johny Narkle played like he'd been waiting all season for this one. He finished with 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting, and his three threes, seven rebounds and four assists are all new NBL career highs. His two steals equalled his career best.

Down 16-23 late in the first quarter, Narkle buried a three and then ran the floor for a transition bucket on the very next trip, before Lamar Patterson found Sam Froling to tie it 23-23 at the break. In the third, he poured in eight more, including a corner three off Doyle's ninth assist.

Twenty-two down, still swinging

The second quarter got away from us. The Phoenix hit six threes in it, piled on a 13-0 run, and took a 59-41 lead into half time, wiping out the 33-30 lead we'd built earlier in the term.

When the lead blew out to 22 at 47-69, we came straight back at them. Harvey's putback, Patterson finding Maker for a dunk, Doyle off the glass, a Maker jumper, that alley-oop, and back-to-back Narkle threes. We shot 13 of 22 in the quarter, won it 32-26, and twice cut the gap to 11.

Kelan Martin led us with 17 points on 7 of 14, against a Phoenix side coached by Josh King, who coached him in Germany. Tyler Harvey added 10, Froling had nine with a perfect 5 of 5 from the line, Davo Hickey chipped in seven points and six rebounds, and Patterson had seven points and three assists.

Sixteen from deep

Here's where it got away. The Phoenix came in shooting 18 per cent from three over their previous two games, and Nathan Sobey had started his season 0 from 12. On Sunday they made 16 of 41. That's 48 points from beyond the arc to our 15, on 5 of 24, a 33-point swing in a game decided by 17.

Inside the arc, we owned it, 68 points to 36. The Phoenix also got to the line 43 times to our 16, and opened the fourth with a 6-0 burst to push out to 73-91.

We never stopped swinging. From 77-100 down, we outscored them 19-13 to the final buzzer.

Sobey led the Phoenix with 26 points, going 4 of 9 from three with six assists, and Dash Daniels added 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Greater Bank Game MVP

Voting for the Greater Bank Game MVP, presented by the Hawks' Major Community Partner in now open.

On the numbers: Makur Maker had 14 points on 7 of 11 on debut. Milton Doyle had 14 points, 11 assists and three steals. Johny Narkle had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Kelan Martin led us with 17 points. Over to you, Hawkheads.

Back home for a weekend double.

We sit at 1-4 after a tough road stretch, and now we come home. Two games at the WIN Entertainment Centre next weekend, with a new big man to show off.

First up, the Tasmania JackJumpers on Friday 9 October at 7:30pm, then the Cairns Taipans on Sunday 11 October at 5:00pm. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Bring the noise, Hawkheads. Maker has heard about the Sandpit. Let's show him.

Plan your night with our new Game Day Guide

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL27

‍Boxscore
Illawarra Hawks 96 (Martin 17, Doyle 14, Maker 14, Narkle 13, Harvey 10, Froling 9, Hickey 7, Patterson 7, Swaka Lo Buluk 5)
S.E. Melbourne Phoenix 113 (Sobey 26, Daniels 16, Schwartz 15, Hunter 12, Mays 9, Krebs 9, Glover 9, Morin 8, Aliir 6, Davidson 3)

Press Conference presented by Relativity Films

Match Highlights

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