Hawkeye - Illawarra Hawks v SE Melbourne Phoenix R13 Preview

THE MUST KNOWS 

When: 7:30pm AEST, Friday 9 April

Where: WIN Entertainment Centre

Broadcast: ESPN, SBS On Demand and Twitch

Past meetings:
Round 4 at State Basketball Centre: Phoenix 98 def Hawks 82
Round 7 at John Cain Arena: Phoenix 93 def Hawks 76
Round 12 at WIN Entertainment Centre: Phoenix 95 def Hawks 63

THE PRELUDE

The Hawks are staring down the barrel of their first four game losing streak of the season if they can't get over the top of the only team they have never beaten in the NBL - the SE Melbourne Phoenix.

The Phoenix have a 6-0 record over the Hawks since they entered the league last year - but this season the series between the Hawks and Phoenix is the most one-sided in the competition.

Most one sided match-ups this season by average margins: (multiple games played only)
21.7 per game Phoenix against Hawks
19.0 per game Wildcats against Taipans
16.5 per game United vs 36ers

The 32-point loss to the Phoenix last time they met was the biggest defeat by a home side so far this season in NBL21.

These teams met just eight days ago at this venue and after the Hawks led 25-15 at quarter time, the match looked evenly poised at half time with the visitors leading 39-38.
Phoenix closed out the third quarter on. 24-0 run – the best by any team this season – and outscored the Hawks 56-25 in the second half to win by 32-points.

This is the second game of the Hawks 'Triple Threat' of home games this week and they will still be without Cam Bairstow - while the the Phoenix start a three game road trip and will be hoping star guard Keifer Sykes returns to the court. Sykes has only played one game in their past seven games.

THE FUN FACTS

The Hawks record of one win and three losses at the WIN Entertainment Centre is the worst win-loss record of any team in their home arena this season.

Phoenix are the only team that has scored at least 90-points every time they have played against the Hawks this season and they have an average winning margin of 21.7

Against the Hawks this season, the Phoenix are shooting 48% from the field including 43% from 3-point land

Illawarra has had double-figure leads in five of their past six games and gone on to lose four of those games.

Round 10 vs United at Melbourne – led by 10 lost by 10
Round 11 vs Wildcats at Perth – led by 12 lost by 11
Round 11 vs Bullets at Wollongong – led by 27 won by 24
Round 12 vs Phoenix at Wollongong – led by 10 lost by 32
Round 12 vs 36ers at Adelaide – led by 5 lost by 12
Round 13 vs Bullets at Wollongong – led by 14 lost by 6

Illawarra are now 10 wins and 11 losses at 47.6% win rate. It is the first time this season that the Hawks have a winning percentage of less than .500

Brian Goorjian has not lost four games in a row since March 1988 when he started his NBL coaching career with the Eastside Spectres with six straight losses. He has coached 749 games since his first win came against the Westside Saints at the Glasshouse in Melbourne – just over 33 years ago.

THE MATCH UP

Justinian Jessup v Ryan Broekhoff

It's the battle between two of the hottest sets of hands in the NBL in future NBA talent Jessup against former NBA talent Broekhoff.

Jessup is averaging 19 points per game over his last three games at 52% FG with scores of 19, 17 & 21. He had struggled against the Phoenix before last week's clash, with the men in green holding him to seven and nine points before dropping 21 last Thursday.

Broekhoff has taken some time to settle back into the NBL after only signing with the Phoenix during the NBL Cup. He was the chief destroyer in a breakout game for the club against the Hawks last start - scoring 26-points off the bench including 7-from-11 threes.

The Phoenix hit 16 threes in that matchup while the Hawks could only manage 4-from-23 (17%), so if one of these stars heats up it could decide the outcome of this one.

THE SPOTLIGHT

Deng Deng - the big wing will have a big job to do on both side's of the ball on Friday night. He will probably be tasked with the unenviable job of trying to shut down Mitch Creek - a guy who torched the Hawks in their first two encounters this year. Along with Justin Simon and Deng Adel, Deng Deng's athleticism and size will be instrumental in trying to quell the influence of Creek

On the offensive end, the Phoenix has done a good job of taking time and space away from Tyler Harvey and Jessup so far this season, so the job of knocking down shots could fall on Deng's shoulders.

He's been brilliant against the Phoenix so far this season, scoring eight, 10 and nine in three contests at an incredible 62% from the field.