Hawks fall short in one point thriller

A last-second block by Bullets big man Tyrell Harrison was all that stood between the Hawks and back-to-back wins to start Justin Tatum's tenure in charge.

The Hawks used a balanced attack and a renewed commitment to the defensive end to establish their intentions in the first half.

The bigs of Froling and Clark kept the scoreboard ticketing over, while a 10-point explosion from sharpshooter Hyunjung Lee saw the Hawks trail by just one heading into the long break.

The second half was a dour affair, with both teams turning up the defensive pressure, signalling the importance of the win for both coaches.

Justin Robinson found his stroke in the third period, and Clark's craftiness in the low block gave Hawks fans the belief that a second straight road win was in reach.

Heading into the fourth, Brisbane, through the perimeter shooting of Chris Smith, jumped out to an eight-point lead before the Hawks fought back to lead by four in the final minutes.

As time wound down, Brisbane was able to defend a one-point lead when Chris Smith's shot rimmed out, and Harrison blocked Gary Clark's layup to secure a 78-77 win.

The Hawks were paced by Gary Clark [13 points], Justin Robinson [13 points], Sam Froling [11 points] and Hjunjung Lee [10 points].

The Hawks return home this Friday night for a blockbuster match-up with the surging Perth Wildcats, with tickets available through Ticketmaster https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/illawarra-hawks-tickets/artist/1055493