Round 10: Taipans vs Hawks

From John Cain Arena in the south to Cairns Entertainment Centre in the far north, the Hawks look to bounce back in a Saturday afternoon match-up with the Taipans.

The search for consistency amongst the young Hawks roster remains following a second-half onslaught from the Phoenix, which saw them close out a 111-72 victory on Thursday night.

The Hawks went toe to toe with the more fancied Phoenix roster, with Michael Frazier pacing all scorers in the opening half on his way to a 20-point evening.

There was every chance the Hawks would enter the half with the lead. However, turnovers and missed free throws proved costly as they went into the break 8 points in arrears.

It was all South East Melbourne in the third, as they tightened the screws on the Hawks offence and blew the game apart behind a 20-0 run.

Frazier (20 points), Harvey, and Froling had their moments, and Davo Hickey continued to provide a spark off the bench.

The Hawks now travel to Cairns, where the fourth-place Taipans await.

Keep a Hawk Eye On

Wani Swaka Lo Buluk.

Few players have been impacted by the roster instability of the season's opening half more than Swaka Lo Buluk.

Wani came to the club as the primary on-ball stopper with the ability to develop into a consistent three and D wing.

Since moving to the 6th man role, Swaka Lo Buluk has been a much-needed spark off the bench and will be called upon to play a pivotal role in defending the perimeter-heavy Taipans line-up of Scott, McCall, Kuol, and Hogg.

Opposition Watch

The Taipans have been one of the surprise packets of the NBL23 season, with Coach Adam Forde leading a deep and explosive Cairns roster.

The leap from competitive to contender can be directly aligned with the performances of exciting forward Keanu Pinder.

Pinder is averaging a team-high 18 points and ten rebounds per game and has elevated himself into MVP consideration.

Import wing DJ Hogg has impacted the side in his first season in the far north. Hogg’s long-range game has seen him average 16 points per game, and he is a regular option in a potent offensive line-up that includes Shannon Scott, Tahjere McCall, and rookie Sam Waardenburg.

The Taipans enter round 9 in 4th place with a seven-win and five-loss season record.

How to Watch

Catch all the action from 5:30pm AEDT on ESPN via Kayo & Foxtel.

Hawks Socials

Follow all the action from Saturday’s game, on the Hawks social media channels @illawarrahawks and use the hashtag ‘Hawk Nation’ when you share your pics and stories.