Hawks Fall in Overtime Heartbreaker to Flamengo in FIBA Intercontinental Cup Opener
The Illawarra Hawks opened their FIBA Intercontinental Cup campaign in Singapore on Friday night, going toe-to-toe with Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo before falling 84-82 in overtime after a buzzer-beating finish.
It was a rollercoaster contest that had everything—defensive grit, big plays late, and plenty of drama. Tyler Harvey lived up to his reputation as the Hawks’ “Big Shot Taker, Big Shot Maker,” pouring in a team-high 24 points, including a clutch three in regulation and several key trips to the free throw line down the stretch.
Veteran NBA big man JaVale McGee stamped his presence in his Hawks debut, finishing with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, while altering countless shots defensively. Jonah Bolden also stood tall with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals in a commanding all-round performance.
Coach Justin Tatum rotated heavily with three games in three nights on the schedule, going deep into the bench early.
Biwali Bayles impressed with his defensive energy and six points in the starting backcourt, while Todd Blanchfield hit two clutch triples in the fourth to swing momentum, finishing with 10 points.
The Hawks had their chances to close it out. Harvey’s free throws gave Illawarra an 82-81 lead with just over 30 seconds left in overtime, but Flamengo answered at the line and then executed an out-of-bounds play with 0.2 seconds left to seal the win.
Despite shooting struggles from deep (4/23 at 17%), the Hawks showed their resilience—holding Flamengo to just eight points in the second quarter and pushing the game into extra time against a side with rich Intercontinental Cup history.
Flamengo were led by clutch perimeter shooting and composure late, adding to their record as two-time Intercontinental Cup champions (2014, 2022).
The Hawks will now face last year’s champions, NBA G League United, on Saturday night (Sept 20). With Flamengo already beaten by G League United 93-91, Illawarra must win by three or more points to advance to Sunday’s final.
Then it’s back to Wollongong for the much-anticipated NBL season opener on Saturday, September 27, where the Hawks will raise the championship banner in front of the home fans.
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FIBA INTERCONTINENTAL CUP (Boxscore)
FLAMENGO 84 (Borges 22, Johnson 14, Manfio 12)
ILLAWARRA HAWKS 82 (Harvey 24, Bolden 12, McGee 10, Blanchfield 10)
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