Hawks at Melbourne to Face United

A three-point make on the buzzer by Tyler Harvey saw the Hawks record their second W of the season, toppling the Cairns Taipans at home and ensuring the group boarded their QANTAS flight south of the border full of confidence.

Thursday night's classic saw the Hawks lead for most of the night before the Taipans found their legs and chased down a 13-point lead going into the last quarter.

Sam Froling dominated early, and his relentless attack on the rim set the tone for the rest of the group to follow suit.

One player who answered the call was young guy Lachie Olbrich, with his hustle and energy, resulting in several second-chance opportunities for the Hawks in his 23 minutes on court.

With the game on the line, there was only one player the Hawks wanted the ball in the hands of – the left-handed sniper wearing #1.

After Taipans point guard Patrick Williams put the Taipans ahead with 6 seconds to go, Harvey took the ball the full length of the floor before sending the home crowd into raptures with a three-point dagger to call game.

It was the Hawk's best defensive outing of the season, and they will need to continue to prioritise the defensive side of the ball if we are to come away with the spoils against the talent and firepower of Melbourne United.

The Hawks will again be without Mason Peatling, who continues his recovery from a cheekbone injury, and William Hickey, who will miss today's game with illness.

Opposition Watch

United have quickly established themselves as the team to beat in NBL24, and the Hawks are well aware of their firepower, having seen their talent on full display in a 10-point loss at home just nine days ago.

In a top-of-the-table clash in Tasmania on Friday night, Melbourne dominated most of the game before closing out a late Jack Jumpers charge to win 90-82.

Although they will miss floor general Matthew Dellavedova again today, United are flush with talent in the backcourt, with Shae Ili and Chris Goulding prominent in our most recent match-up.

Next Star Ariel Huckporti and his twin towers teammate Jo Lual-Acuil are in rare form themselves and will be a focus for the Hawk's big man brigade, who will need to match their combination of length and aggression this afternoon.

A great test awaits with an upset win, the goal for a Hawks side searching for constancy and back-to-back wins for the first time in NBL24.

Where to Watch

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