Hawkeye - Illawarra Hawks v SE Melbourne Phoenix R12 Preview

THE MUST KNOWS 

When: 7:30pm ADST, Thursday 1 April

Where: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

Broadcast: ESPN, SBS On Demand and Twitch

Last Time They Met: SE Melbourne Phoenix 93 (Creek 25, Moore 22, Gliddon 19) defeated Illawarra 76 (Harvey 14, Simon 13, Deng 10), Round , February 28 2021

THE PRELUDE

The Phoenix will mosey into town knowing that in five appearances against Illawarra since they entered the league - they have never lost to the Hawks.

It's an unwanted record coach Brian Goorjian is desperate to change - with the mastercoach labelling the Phoenix the side's 'bogey team' so far this season.

For whatever reason the Phoenix seem to have the Hawks measure at the moment - with marquee star Mitch Creek's combination of size, speed and skill proving proving to be a tough matchup - and Phoenix big man Ben Moore torching the Hawks in both meeting's this season.

Moore has averaged 18.5 points and 10 rebounds per game off the bench against the Hawks.

This game will decide third position on the ladder with both teams on an identical record of 10 wins and eight losses.

The Hawks are the only team that the Phoenix have never lost to and even though the Phoenix has a 5-0 record over the Hawks - four of those games have been played in Melbourne.

The Hawks have big man Cam Bairstow in doubt and he will have to pass a fitness test to play. 

For the Phoenix - Keifer Sykes (foot), Dane Pineau (knee) and Kendall Stephens (achilles) will all miss.

THE FUN FACTS

Both teams have already beaten their win tallies from last season when the Hawks won just five games to finish bottom and the Phoenix just above them with nine wins.

Illawarra had their biggest win of the season with a 24-point win over the Bullets on Monday - winning all four quarters for the first time this year.

The Phoenix posted their lowest ever score last game in the throwdown with just 60-points in a 20-point loss. It was the lowest score by any team this season. The Phoenix were averaging 92.1 points before that game and had won their last four games.

This is the first time the Phoenix has played outside Victoria since they beat the Wildcats in Perth on 29 January in round three. That is 14 consecutive games played in their home state.

Tyler Harvey and Justinian Jessup average less v the Phoenix than any other team this season so far. Harvey has scored 14 and 13 and Jessup has nine and seven against the Phoenix.

Harvey and Jessup have a combined average of 34ppg across the season.

Deng Adel posted the first double/double of his NBL career on Monday with 11 points, 11 rebounds and season-high six assists in 25 minutes off the bench. 

None of the players on the current Illawarra Hawks roster has played in a winning team against the Phoenix in their career.

THE MATCH UP

Justinian Jessup v Kyle Adnam

We're 18 games into the NBL season and we've worked out Justinian Jessup is much more than just a three-point gunner.

Yes, he is shooting the three at a Hawks-high 43% clip. But now he seems to have worked out he can have an impact on games without just lighting teams up from outside the arc.

Over his last five games the 'Next Star' has racked up 45 points on 38.5% shooting, but despite a mini shooting slump - Jessup has notched up 28 boards, nine assists, five blocks and seven steals as well. His defensive pressure and intensity is above average and he's helping the Hawks win on both ends of the court.

Kyle Adnam has been Mr Fix-It for the Phoenix this season, plugging the sizeable holes left by the absences of Mitch Creek and Keifer Sykes when necessary. Sykes is out again tomorrow night so more ownership will fall out Adnam to take on the playmaking role. 

Sykes missed the matchup between these two sides in the NBL Cup just over a month ago and Adnam was elite. He had nine points, 13 assists and four steals in the a player of the game performance that showed he is capable of leading the men in green around the court. He's also a dogged defender and will probably have the matchup with either Jessup or his backcourt dance partner Tyler Harvey.

THE SPOTLIGHT

Tyler Harvey - will he or won't he play? That's the big question after Harvey left Monday night's 24-point win over the Bullets late in the third quarter with what coach Brian Goorjian called a 'back spasm'.

Harvey had dropped a season-high eight three's by that stage of the game and amassed 28-points in a starring role for the Hawks, the stellar performances coming after the American import experienced some rare shooting struggles in road losses to United and the Wildcats.

Harvey had scored 20-points ten times in his 18 games this season but has not yet scored more than 15 against the Phoenix.

The Hawks are winless when Tyler Harvey scores 15-points or less this season (0-from-5) with two of those games against the Phoenix.

The Hawks are six wins and one loss when Harvey scores 23-points or more.

Harvey was relatively quiet in the side's open practice session on Wednesday but did get shots up with the side's assistant coaches and shrugged off any suggestion he wouldn't be fit to face the Phoenix.

Harvey has been the Hawks MVP so far this year and if he was to miss - a considerable amount of responsibility would fall on the Emmett Naar to run the point - while Justin Simon, Deng Adel and Jessup's usage rate would increase as well.