Round 11: Hawks vs Kings

The Kings head down the highway this Friday night as we celebrate Indigenous Round at the WIN Entertainment Centre in round 11 of the NBL23 season.

The first two instalments of the Freeway Series have been hotly contested, and Friday night shapes to be another classic encounter between the state-based rivals.

Both sides enter the match at either end of the NBL ladder, but that will count for nothing when Froling and Cooks tip things off at 8pm Friday night.

The Hawks came up short in their last outing in a double overtime thriller in Cairns, while the Kings enter Round 11 off a loss to the surging JackJumpers in Sydney on Sunday afternoon.

Five players lodged double figures for the Hawks, with Frazier II, Harvey, and Froling leading the charge.

Frazier II’s 26 points, including 6-10 from downtown, added to his already impressive start in a Hawks uniform.

Froling’s 22-point and six rebound contributions bookended a strong week for the co-captain, and it was Tyler Harvey that came up huge down the stretch to force not one but two overtime periods.

Having been on the wrong end of a final second buzzer beater in their last trip to Qudos Bank Arena, a full-strength Hawks outfit will be seeking redemption on Friday night in front of a parochial home crowd.

Keep a Hawk Eye On

 Tyler Harvey.

The arrival of Siva and Frazier II in recent weeks has unlocked Harvey’s explosive offensive skill set.

Harvey was the sole import on the floor in our Round 7 clash with the Kings. His efforts almost single-handily dragged the group across the line with a season-high 32-points.

The Kings will throw multiple bodies at Harvey come Friday night. However, with the talented lefty having found his flow at the offensive end, look for the co-captain to lead from the front and be his aggressive self from the tip.

Opposition Watch

 Despite coming up short against the JackJumpers in their last outing, the Kings enter Round 11 atop the NBL23 standings.

Behind an impressive 6-1 away win record, the Kings have their sights firmly set on a tilt at back-to-back championship seasons.

The line-up of Walton Jr, Vasiljevic, Simon, Cooks and Soares has proven a formidable one in the first half of the season, and their bench depth has taken its turn in delivering match-winning performances.

Cooks is one of the competition's MVP favourites, and Walton Jr is the architect of the Kings' attack. Hawk Nation hopes that limiting their impact will have the red, black, and white right in the hunt come crunch time.

Protect the Pit

We are calling on all of Hawk Nation to turn out in force and "Protect the Pit."

Tip-off 7:30 pm – tickets from $30, and $70 for families, available through Ticketmaster now.