Hawks defence reigns supreme as home side topples 36ers

The Result

Illawarra Hawks 71 - Adelaide 36ers 66

The Story

A stellar all-round performance from Justin Simon combined with some clutch moments from Tyler Harvey was enough to see the Hawks prevail over the 36ers 71-66 at the WIN Entertainment Centre tonight.

It was a familiar face that got things underway for the Hawks as Harvey dropped home hist first three point attempt for the evening to set the local crowd alight.

Simon and Josh Giddey lined up on one another in an enticing matchup - with the high-flying Hawk claiming early bragging rights with this dunk over the young Adelaide phenom.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">Bang Bang BOOM <a href="https://twitter.com/simon_Says_so?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@simon_Says_so</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IllawarraProud?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IllawarraProud</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyAsOne?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyAsOne</a> <a href="https://t.co/YcP2ZlqUNp">pic.twitter.com/YcP2ZlqUNp</a></p>— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1392054004591460355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was a low scoring opening quarter - punctuated by a stoic defensive effort from the home side. The Hawks racking up four first quarter steals as the 36ers struggled to find a groove.

Deng Deng continued his solid month, knocking down his first long range attempt before chipping in another two on the buzzer as the Hawks strode out to a 23-10 lead at the first break. Harvey the side's leading scorer with eight.

The second stanza was all Adelaide early on as the visitors awoke from their offensive slumber to pile on 15 unanswered points to take the lead. Brandon Paul, Jack McVeigh and Tony Crocker all knocking down three pointers as the Hawks went scoreless for six minutes.

It was Harvey again who finally broke the drought, banging home his third three for the night as his teammates struggled.

'Next Star' Justinian Jessup wasn't at his best early as he continued his return from a nagging leg issue, the Golden State draftee going 0/5 from the field in the opening half. Another man on the comeback trail from a lengthy layoff was having no trouble finding his legs though - as Dan Grida sliced through the 36ers defence to lay this one in.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From Europe with love <a href="https://twitter.com/DGrida?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DGrida</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IllawarraProud?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IllawarraProud</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyAsOne?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyAsOne</a> <a href="https://t.co/q4K3ZJ12z8">pic.twitter.com/q4K3ZJ12z8</a></p>— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1392061441146953734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 36ers managing to outscore the Hawks 28-11 for the quarter though to take a four-point lead into the oranges.

The third quarter was a dogged affair between two side's determined to keep their top four hopes alive.

Jessup found his stroke, knocking down a pair of jumpers, with captain AJ Ogilvy also finishing a few nice feeds around the hoop on his way to eight points for the frame.

Justin Simon was immense on both ends as he willed his side back into the contest. The American star stuffing the box score on his way to one of the games of the season, and suddenly the Hawks were back in front by two at three quarter time - 54-52.

The fourth quarter started with a bang thanks to a runaway train in the form of Simon.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Don't do him like that Justin?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IllawarraProud?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IllawarraProud</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyAsOne?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyAsOne</a> <a href="https://t.co/lXOcftaTfD">pic.twitter.com/lXOcftaTfD</a></p>— Illawarra Hawks Basketball (@illawarrahawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/illawarrahawks/status/1392071948230807554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Both side's traded sporadic baskets as the defensive intensity lifted a few notches, with Harvey and Jessup continuing to tick the scoreboard over for Illawarra.

36ers big man Isaac Humphries missed a pair of clutch free throws late in the game that would have given his side the lead, before Harvey knocked down a huge three to extend the Hawks lead to four with 30 seconds to play.

There were a few nervy moments to finish the game, but Adelaide failed to score again as the Hawks extended their winning sequence to two.

The Stats

The shooting in this one was nothing to write home about.

Both sides struggled from the field as the Hawks knocked down 40% of their shots compared to the 36ers meagre 35%. Illawarra made 5/8 from the foul line while Adelaide also battled with 7/13.

The visitors led the rebound count (44-40), and had more assists (23-20), but it was the Hawks defence that stood tall again tonight, with the home side registering 12 steals to seven and four blocks to Adelaide's three.

Despite the 36ers big front court, the Hawks chipped in 30 points in the paint to Adelaide's 18, but it was the 36ers bench that almost won them the game, outscoring the Hawks ssecond unit 34-14.

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The Fallout

"I was just really happy with where we went defensively and that the guys played to the gameplan on how we're gonna win and just really proud of the team...we're starting a new culture. You're not gonna come in and tear this thing up, it's just not gonna happen. How we're building this thing and to be in our first year. And be playing in important games likes this, this is how you build rivalries, this is how you become good," Coach Brian Goorjian said.

"It was the start of the Sydney game we really started to pick up the defensive end of the floor. Everybody talked about it was a rugged game in Tasmania, it wasn't pretty, but again we defended, we kept the oposition in the 60's after they'd just beaten Perth. And then you've got a team coming here, playing for their lives and they'd just beaten Sydney and we got that done tonight. It's a first year group, it's a new culture we're trying to build and it's wonderful for this group to be playing in important games," Goorjian said.

"Amazing...it's opened the door for him [Justin Simon], there's no option, we're playing off him and now on the defensive end that's how we're gonna win and he's the head of the dog. Unbelievable job on [Josh] Giddey tonight, unbelievable job with the Webster brothers in the last game and with how he's evolved now with the change in the team hads b een key and gies us that hand to play defensively," Goorjian said.

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"DJ [Dan Johnson] has consistently been putting up numbers his entire career so he's a big focus for them and was for us to stop, I think we did a pretty good job of that, and Isaac [Humphries] as well, he's an unbelievable player. So it was big effort from all the guys AJ, Max, Deng Deng, myself to kind of limit those two and super proud of those guys for doing it," Sam Froling said.

"These fans are the best. They've just been consistently getting louder and louder and it's getting more and more exciting to play here. So I'm super excited for the extra games to come at home and defending this home court, it'll be massive for us," Froling said.

The Road Ahead

Round 18 - Saturday May 15, 8pm AEST v NZ Breakers @ WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong