JackJumpers stand in way of Hawks' fourth straight win

The Illawarra Hawks are flying high at the moment, after winning their past three games and five of their last six.

This run includes arguably their biggest win of the season against the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday.

"This was the start of it [building towards finals] and everybody understood the significance of the game and to win and to win the way we did, was really important," coach Brian Goorjian said.

That record will be put to the test on Sunday when Goorjian's troops travel to Hobart's MyState Bank Arena to play the JackJumpers for the first time ever on Tasmanian soil.

The JackJumpers, who take on Cairns on Friday, won the pair's first-ever match-up on Sunday, February 20, making the Hawks even more determined to win the Indigenous round showdown.

Especially as the foundation club has seven of its final 10 regular-season games on the road - making each one even more important.

"I remember last year being on the road for months before the season started and it gets to the point where it's too long," coach Goorjian said.

"But I remember Cairns at the start of [last] year were kind of in our situation [this season], a regional team [like us], and they played seven of their first eight games at home. It wasn't good for them.

"If I had a choice I'd rather play the first seven on the road and try to sneak a few, get some momentum, and then come back home. I just think playing all those games at home one another after another, it just goes ho-hum.

"With [the road], you've got to pull together because everything's against you. We haven't had any of that and it might be a good thing for this young team."

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To chalk up their 12th win of the season, the fourth-placed Hawks will be counting on more strong games from Antonius Cleveland and Xavier Rathan-Mayes - who both starred in Sunday's win.

The Memphis product has scored in double-figures in five of his past six matches while averaging more than a steal and block each game during that stretch.

While Canadian Rathan-Mayes is fresh off his best game of the year, where he scored a season-high 19 points at John Cain Arena.

Florida State alum Rathan-Mayes is part of the Hawks' bench unit which has come on strong of late, which also includes Isaac White, Tim Coenraad and Harry Froling.

Those four were pivotal on Sunday and loom as key factors if Illawarra is going to qualify for the NBL finals.

As well as continuing that play on the offensive end, the Hawks will need to zero in on slowing down the JackJumpers dangerous backcourt of Josh Magette and Josh Adams - who are averaging close to a combined 30 points a game.

Another key player for the JackJumpers is big man Will Magnay, with the former New Orleans Pelican proving a handful in the paint all season for opposition teams - meaning the likes of Duop Reath and Sam Froling will be tasked with slowing him down.

The round 15 clash tips off at 1pm AEDT live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel.