NBL locks in Hawks' next two opponents

The second and third games of the Illawarra Hawks' 'Festival of Hoops' were announced by the NBL on Thursday. 

Following Sunday's 'Battle of the Birds' against the Adelaide 36ers, the Hawks will have just four days to prepare for arch-rivals the Sydney Kings.  

The Freeway Series clash, replacing the postponed December 31 fixture, will tip-off at 7.30pm Thursday at the WIN Entertainment Centre and mark the second game of the NBL22 Adrian Hurley Cup. 

As this game is replacing the New Year's Eve blockbuster, the Hawks will also wear their Space Jam: A New Legacy jerseys featuring Tweety Bird.

Three days later, Brian Goorjian’s troops will welcome the Perth Wildcats to the WIN Entertainment Centre for a Sunday afternoon showdown. 

The round seven clash, pitting last season's semi-final opponents against one another, will tip-off at 1pm AEDT. 

Hawks co-owner and president Dorry Kordahi encouraged all Illawarra fans to come out and support their team, especially after all the challenges they’ve had to recently overcome.

“If we ever needed our Hawks fans to come out and support their club, the time is now,” Kordahi said.

“After what can only be described as a challenging time for the team over the past few weeks, we are ready to show our loyal fans and region what the Steel City is made of. 

“We showed during the Breakers game that we’re the hottest ticket in town and intend to prove why we’re a night of entertainment not to be missed, each time we step on the floor.”

Tickets for both the Thursday and Sunday fixtures are on sale now via Ticketmaster.