Round 17: Wildcats vs Hawks

The final road trip of the NBL23 season takes us to the far west and a match-up with the fifth-placed Perth Wildcats.

The Hawks will be out to replicate their last road performance against New Zealand and head home to the ‘Gong with a win.

WIN Entertainment Centre went retro on Saturday night as the Hawks donned their heritage uniform, inspired by the kit colourway of the 1979 inaugurals.

While Tyler Harvey continued his red-hot form with 22 points, it wasn’t enough to stop the Bullets from recording their third straight win, eventually going down 103-86.

Dan Grida looked like he was checking into the game straight out of the 70s, and the athletic wing continued his strong finish to the season, recording 13 points and five boards.

Unfortunately, the side couldn’t contain the strike power of Tyler Johnson, White III, Aaron Baynes and Jason Cadee, who combined for 68 points on the night.

Illawarra junior Harry Morris hit the floor for the second time this season and had the Prokote corporate box on its feet late in the fourth with a three-point make from the corner.

For the first time in a long time, the Hawks will take an unchanged roster on the road in search of an upset win against the Wildcats and the Red Army.

Keep a Hawks Eye On

 Dan Grida.

We have celebrated his comeback in recent weeks, but Grida's game is slowly returning to its damaging best.

The forward has been one of the first men off the bench, and his energy has been contagious in recent weeks.

Grida owned the baseline on Saturday night with several tough finishes keeping the side within striking distance early in the fourth.

The night's highlight came in the third quarter as Grida played the passing lanes at halfway, ending up with a steal and a runaway two-hand flush.

Opposition Watch

The Wildcats have won three of their last five games and take a 13-11 record into the final two rounds of the NBL season.

The late-season signing of Ty Webster has given John Rillie a formidable three-guard rotation that includes Ty's brother Corey, and the league's premier scorer, Bryce Cotton.

The front court of Luke Travers, Brady Manek, and TaShawn Thomas came to life in the second half of the season and fuelled a late season run to the playoffs.

How to Watch

Catch all the action Friday night from 9.30pm AEDT on ESPN via Kayo & Foxtel.

Hawks Socials

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