Hawkeye - Illawarra Hawks v SE Melbourne Phoenix R7 Preview

THE MUST KNOWS 

When: 2pm, Sunday 28 February

Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne

Broadcast: SBS Viceland, SBS On Demand and Twitch

Last Time They Met: Phoenix 98 (Gliddon 15, Sykes 15, Creek 15) d Hawks 82 (Adel 17, Bairstow 15, Harvey 13) - Round 4, January 21 2021

THE PRELUDE

Last time these two sides met it was the Phoenix who reigned supreme to the tune of 16-points - handing the Hawks their first and biggest loss of the 2020-21 NBL season.

The Hawks could only muster 82-points that day, the side's lowest total of the season, with back-court splash brothers Tyler Harvey and Justinian Jessup held to a meagre 22-points (the pair's combined average is 38 for the year).

In a rather unwanted record, the Hawks are the only team the Phoenix have not lost to yet in their short NBL history, winning all four games last season to go with the victory in Round 4 of this year. 

The Hawks will be eager to erase the memories of Friday night's 6-point loss to the Bullets - and coach Brian Goorjian is sure to have worn the game tape out after calling out some "horrendous" decision-making down the stretch of what was a very winnable game.

The Phoenix are currently 5-5 but have not lost consecutive games this season and enter the game off a disappointing loss to Adelaide on Tuesday.

Weary legs could also be an issue for both teams. South East Melbourne only ran with a seven man rotation against Adelaide with Ben Moore playing the least time after fouling out in 16 minutes. 

In the Hawks-Brisbane game, Goorjian kept his rotation pretty tight as well, with 'Next Star' Justinian Jessup playing 38:27 of a possible 40 minutes on Friday night.

The Phoenix will be without star guard Keifer Sykes who will be out for the remainder of the NBL Cup with an ankle issue. He may be replaced by Kyle Adnam in the starting lineup.

The game could also have real ramifications for both side's later in the season with the Phoenix and Hawks both tipped to fight it out for a playoff spot.

A win to the Hawks could put them back into second place on the ladder above the Wildcats. A win to the Phoenix will have them on the same record as the Hawks with just percentage deciding third and fourth.

THE FUN FACTS

Phoenix are the highest scoring team in the NBL at 91.5ppg while the Hawks rank 2nd at 90.5. Last year the Phoenix were also the League’s leading scorers while Hawks were last.

Illawarra ranks first in three-point shooting at 40%. Last year they ranked last at 31.3%.

After winning their first four games, Illawarra have lost four of their past six. In those first four games Hawks held their opponents to 78 per game. Over the past six that has expanded to 92.8ppg.

So far this year, when teams have scored 90-points or more against the Hawks they are a perfect 4/4 wins. The Hawks have not been beaten when a team scores less than 90-points.

If the Phoenix's Ben Moore does continue to come off the bench in this game it will be the first time the Phoenix have started a game with no imports in the starting five.

Justinian Jessup has scored 99 points over his last five games including 26 and 20 in his last two. The next star is shooting the three-ball at 53.7% (29 from 54) better than what he is scoring from two-point attempts (36 from 76 @ 47.3%).

THE MATCH UP

Deng Adel v Mitch Creek - Adel has been getting a few mentions in these previews of late and today he'll have arguably the toughest task of his fledging NBL career - a matchup with former NBA talent Mitch Creek.

Many around the league have been waiting with baited breath for a 'breakout' game from the Sudanese-born Adel, and it seems like he's starting to find his stride after four consecutive starts for the Hawks since sustaining an injury in the preseason.

Adel may have modest averages across the board at the moment but one feels it's only a matter of time before his shot starts to fall more consistently and he lives up to the defensive hype that surrounded him before the season began. He was talked about as a defensive player of the year candidate before the season began and he gets no better chance than today to stake his claim against a Phoenix side that will rely heavily on Creek's influence sans Keifer Sykes.

Creek is averaging 26ppg in his first two NBL Cup games with 29 against the Bullets and 23 v Adelaide to go with 10.5 rebounds per game. Against the 36ers, Creek led his team in scoring (23), rebounding (13) and assists (8) and it was just the second time he had 20 points, 10 boards and 5 assists in an NBL game.

THE SPOTLIGHT

Justin Simon - you can often tell a lot about a player by the way he reacts to adversity. Simon has been a breath of fresh air in the Illawarra this season with his defensive tenacity and team first mentality endearing him to the Aussie NBL crowds. He is still very much in the conversation for the defensive player of the year title and guards the opposition's most dangerous player each and every game. In a nutshell, he's doing plenty right.

But on Friday he had a moment to forget. 

With scores tied and the shot clock turned off, Simon grabbed a rebound and powered his way to the Bullets basket in an attempt to put the Hawks ahead. The contested layup went awry and the Bullets not only regained possession, they went on to ice the game from the free throw line after a couple of clumsy fouls.

Simon has big game experience (he has played in the NBA G-League with the Chicago Bulls affilliate side) so he would know it was the wrong play, but the rapid nature of the NBL Cup fixture means he gets a chance at redemption already.

The Hawks three other losses this season have been by 6, 6 & 3-points and they have had a chance to win each of those games. If they are to have a chance of winning the NBL title this season, players like Simon need to take hold of games in the clutch. Every possession is important, but even moreso when the game is on the line and today will be a great opportunity for Simon to bounce back from a frustrating Friday-night finale.

THE QUOTES

Brian Goorjian on the keys to the Hawks finding form again...

"We need to get back to the game style that was so successful for us at the beginning of the season. Getting stops, being tight on defence and running the floor. If we can do that, it'll open up opportunities for our shooters and some of our guys can flourish and get easier opportunities on the fast break. At the moment, we're making it hard for ourselves by playing too slow and not defending or switching with enough energy and determination."

On the short turnarounds between games in  the NBL Cup...

"It's a great challenge and probably more mental than anything at the moment. It's the nature of this competition so there's no point complaining about it because it's the same for every team, but you're gonna be tired some days, you're gonna feel it late in games. It's my job to manage that appropriately and ensure when each guy's number is called they are ready to go, because we're gonna need the whole roster if we're gonna go a long way this season."