Round 15: Kings vs Hawks

The fiercest rivalry in the NBL reignites on Sunday afternoon as we take on the Sydney Kings at Qudos Bank Arena.

The final match-up of the Freeway Series may see two sides at opposite ends of the standings, but if the previous three encounters are anything to go by, the result will be decided in the final stages.

The young Hawks will look to erase the memories of our last trip up the highway, where we were just seconds away from pulling off the upset of the NBL23 season.

A Shaun Bruce three gave the Kings the win on the buzzer, and the purple and gold have been atop the competition standings ever since.

Tomorrow's match will be the third in six days for the Hawks, having fallen just short of the JackJumpers at home and the Taipans on the road.

The Taipans held on to beat the Hawks 89-84 on Friday night. Cairns was on fire early, jumping to a 14-point lead in the first quarter.

However, the Hawk's grit and determination saw them take the lead into the first break and stay within striking distance for the remaining three quarters.

Tyler Harvey enjoyed another trip north with a game-high 25 points, while the supporting cast came in the form of Hickey and Mathiang, who produced their best games of the season to date.

Keep a Hawk Eye On

 The Co-Captains.

A lot has been asked of Harvey and Froling in recent weeks, and the call will come again against a fit and firing Kings outfit.

It was a vintage Tyler Harvey performance that almost sealed the victory at Qudos in Round 7, and he followed with a team-high 19 points and five threes in the December 16 home match at WIN Entertainment Centre.

For Froling, the added responsibility has sat well with him, with his points, rebounds and assists all up on this time last season.

Both players are passionate about the Hawks jersey, and the importance the Freeway Series results hold for Hawk Nation. A season-best performance from this one-two punch might make the drive back to God’s Country a little sweeter on Sunday evening.

Opposition Watch 

 The Kings have established themselves as the team to beat with just three rounds to go. The Kings lead the Taipans by two games and are coming off the biggest win of the NBL season, a 49-point victory against the Bullets.

There are contributors at every position for Sydney, with MVP favourite Cooks, DJ Vasiljevic and Derick Walton Jr combining for almost 50 points per game.

Glover, Hunter, Bruce, Galloway, and Noi bench unit provide Chase Buford with one of the deepest rosters in the league. The Kings return to Qudos searching for a sixth straight win, with the Hawks looking to snap the streak in front of a hostile away crowd.

How to Watch

Catch all the action from 4:00pm AEDT on 10 Peach or 10Play and ESPN via Kayo & Foxtel.

Hawks Socials

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