Post Game Wrap Hawks v United

A herculean effort from freshly re-signed Will Hickey wasn’t enough for the Hawks on Thursday night, with Melbourne United edging home in a Wollongong thriller that looked every bit a continuation of the epic finals series the two teams fought out last season.

In a bruising, physical encounter both sides came back from double-digit deficits to re-take the lead at different stages, before a controversial end saw the visitors close the show from the foul-line late.

It came as Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Hyunjung Lee and Todd Blanchfield all nailed monster threes inside the final 27 seconds to keep it a one-score game, though a controversial foul-call that sent Chris Goulding to the line late proved a flashpoint.

It saw Justin Tatum cop a technical, and the Hawks faithful burst a gasket at the call as their side went down 92-87 for just their second defeat of the season, a loss that may come at a higher cost after Trey Kell left the court late in the second term and didn’t return due to back spasms.

Concern for Hawks MVP candidate

United went into the game without back-court duo Matthew Dellevadova and Shea Ili, but the Hawks copped a massive blow of their own when Kell limped from the court after suffering a heavy fall three minutes before halftime and not returning.

It came amid a 22-9 run for the visitors that overhauled a 10-point deficit. It now leaves the Hawks facing a three-game road stretch with a question mark over their leading scorer and floor general.

“It’s probably something I’ll know later this evening, or tomorrow,” Tatum said when asked about the health of his point-guard post-game.

“He fell on his back that he [hurt] two home games ago and reaggravated it, so we’ll see how he is sometime after he wakes up.”

‘Davo’ underlines his value                                                                                  

On the day the club announced it had locked down Hickey for the next three seasons, the Sixth Man of the Year front-runner seemed determined to lead his team in every statistical category.

The 25-year-old’s first score was a put-back slam, one of three offensive boards as he stuffed the sheet to finish with 17 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Nothing summed it up more than his effort in blocking the running shot of Ian Clark and a diving save of possession at the baseline, allowing Tyler Harvey to bury a three that put the Hawks back in front with 4.50 to play.

It’s what has made him so beloved among the Hawks faithful, with Hickey saying the feeling’s mutual in the aftermath.

“It stings not walking away with the win, being a competitor and as competitive as I am, but, for sure, I’m happy just being somewhere and solidifying myself to a degree,” Hickey said.

“I feel like JT sees that I’m a dog, I play hard, I play with my heart on my sleeve.

“I’m just grateful that the city of Wollongong and the region of llawarra see that as well and I’m really grateful to be here.”

While Hickey was huge in the absence of Kell, United found their own next man up in Flynn Cameron, who had 18 points, four assists and four rebounds deputising for Dellavedova.

In a game that had it all, Goulding proved the difference with his 25 points at 5-11 from long range. A stellar contribution from the bench aside, the Hawks couldn’t find enough contributors in response.

Hot Toddy provides timely reminder

At his best, there are few snipers more lethal than Blanchfield and the Hawks veteran provided a timely reminder of this fact against one of his former clubs.

Tatum needed a second-unit contribution on an off-night for his big guns, Harvey starting 0-8 from the field before getting going late. There was no keeping him out of the contest, the skipper going 4-6 from there including two clutch triples to finish with 12.

It was a rear-guard action, but Blanchfield’s 12 points, all from three-point range, were massive in keeping the Hawks in the contest down the stretch. He’s unlikely to clock huge minutes at this point of his career, but the cameo showed the 33-year-old can still make game-turning contributions when he’s on.

The Hawks now face a road treble starting against South East Melbourne on Saturday ahead of trips to Perth and Adelaide before returning for a blockbuster showdown with arch-rivals Sydney at the WEC on November 16.

“I’m expecting my guys to bounce back,” Tatum said.

“We’ve had losses before and we’ve done a great job bouncing back. This [loss] really burns a hole in my team, mentally and physically, because they really want to be able to get back Saturday and show how we can really play.”