Hawkeye - Illawarra Hawks v Sydney Kings R21 Preview

THE MUST KNOWS 

When: 7:30pm AEST, Thursday 3 April

Where: WIN Entertainment Centre

Broadcast: ESPN, SBS On Demand and Twitch

Past meetings:

Round 5 at Qudos Bank Arena: Hawks 85 def Kings 82 by 3-points
Round 9 at John Cain Arena: Hawks 89 def Kings 69 by 20-points
Round 15 at WIN Ent Centre: Kings 79 def Hawks 75 (in overtime) by 4-points

THE PRELUDE

It's 'Thankyou Round' in the Illawarra tonight as the Hawks welcome the Sydney Kings to the WIN Entertainment Centre for Game 4 of the 'Freeway Series' and their final regular season game of NBL21.

The Hawks - having already secured their playoff spot - will be the first finals-bound team to finish their schedule, and will enter the post-season as the best rested team when the semi-finals begin next Thursday night in Perth.

If the Hawks defeat the Kings, they will definitely finish third on the ladder. If they lose this match however, they could drop to fourth if the SE Melbourne Phoenix win both their remaining games.

The situation for Sydney is a little more complex. The Kings need to win both their remaining games (tonight and against the Bullets on Saturday) and need the Phoenix to lose both their remaining games to qualify

The last time these teams met, Tyler Harvey had the potential game winner rim out in regulation, and in overtime Craig Moller made a crucial three-pointer at the end of the shot clock that proved to be the difference with 15 seconds remaining.

The Hawks have won eight of their last nine matches since they lost to the Kings in overtime in round 15.

THE FUN FACTS

The last time the Kings won twice in Wollongong in the same season was in 2017 – the last time the Hawks were in the semi-finals. And in 2018, these teams played overtime twice in their matches played in Wollongong.

The Hawks are on a five-game win streak which is their best since 2014. The last time they won six in a row was during a streak of seven wins in November 2005.  A win against the Kings will give them their best run into the post-season in franchise history.

In the 20 games Illawarra has played since the NBL Cup was completed, the Hawks  have forced their opposition into more turnovers than their own season average, and Illawarra’s 8.8 steals on average would be a record for a 40-minute season.

At the WIN Entertainment Centre this season, Illawarra is forcing 14.9 turnovers per game - with Justin Simon leading the NBL with 66 steals at 1.9 per contest. He is on track to become the first Hawks player to lead the league in steals since Darnell Mee in 2004.

Brian Goorjian has led his teams to the semi-finals in the last 21 seasons in a row, and remarkably, the last two have come from wooden spoon positions. The Hawks were bottom of the table last year with just five wins and that’s the same position the South Dragons were in 2008 when Goorjian took over and won them the championship the following season.

THE MATCH UP

Tyler Harvey v Shaun Bruce

Harvey has made 114 three-pointers this season which is the most by any player in the NBL in the 40-minute game and the most ever by a Hawks player in franchise history.

We've used this stat several times before but when Harvey scores 25-points or more the Hawks are undefeated from eight games. They are 17-2 when he scores 20-points or more. Against the Kings he has scored 25, 17 and 18 but strangely only shot 56% from the free-throw line (9-from-16).

Tonight Shaun Bruce will have the job on Harvey, with the Kings guard one of the best lock down defenders in thea league.

Bruce - not known for his offence - has played 67 games for the Kings and last Saturday led the team in scoring for the very first time with 21-points against Melbourne shooting 5-from-14 threes with seven assists. 21-points was also a new career high in points scored in the career high 38 minutes played – which is even more impressive considering he scored all of his points after half time.

THE SPOTLIGHT

Tim Coenraad

Coenraad has played seven games since re-joining the team and without putting too much pressure on him, the Hawks are 6-1 in that space of time.

He has made 11 field goals for the Hawks – 10 of them have been three-pointers at 43.5% - and is playing inspired defence and crashing the boards for a Hawks side that has missed the presence. 

It's been a hell of a 12 months for Coenraad. Between retirement, beginning life as the Hawks community engagement officer, the birth of his second child and now a return to the NBL, he must be pinching himself at the position he's in now.

Coenraad turns 36 on Saturday, and what better way to celebrate than booking a ticket to the NBL Playoffs in what has been a fairytale return so far for the Hawks legend.