Round 3: 36ers vs Hawks

It’s back-to-back road games for your Illawarra Hawks as we travel to the city of churches and a match-up with the Adelaide 36ers on Saturday evening.

The Hawks enter Round 3 with a 1-2 record, leading the Kings and Wildcats for significant portions of the respective fixtures. 

We entered the Wildcats game fresh off the news that import guard Justin Robinson would miss the trip West after undergoing season-ending surgery back in the Gong.

It was clear from the tip that the squad embraced a next-man-up mentality, racing out to an early lead and heading into the main break with all the momentum and an eight-point lead.

George King was the standout offensively on his way to a season-high 25 points at an impressive 62% from the field. King silenced the RAC Arena crowd with three consecutive triples in a 2-minute stretch that had the Hawks squad believing a road win was within its grasp.

The Wildcats recovered to outscore the Hawks 36-22 in a dour second half, eventually pulling out the 77-71 victory.

Sam Froling played a supporting role in King’s offensive explosion with a serviceable 14-point and eight-rebound performance, while Lachie Dent continued his strong start to the season with 11 points.

Keep a Hawk eye on

Tyler Harvey.

Hawks’ fans know the offensive repertoire the co-captain possesses. Harvey’s long-range shooting and float game have had opposition defences searching for answers since entering the league in 2020.

With the absence of Robinson, Harvey will embrace the role as our main offensive threat and ensure that the 36ers guards are working hard on the defensive side of the ball.

A Tyler Harvey explosion will have the Hawks well on their way to a second victory and a 50-50 record heading home to take on the Breakers next Monday night.

 Opposition Watch

 The 36ers have recently been the talk of the NBL23 competition, even without playing a game in the new season.

Adelaide was the sole franchise to travel to the US and partake in the 2022 NBL X NBA matches.

Their opening game saw them pitted against Western Conference heavyweights, the Phoenix Suns, led by NBA stars Chris Paul and Devin Booker.

The 36ers shocked the basketball world with a 134-124 win against the Phoenix Suns. The 36ers became the first NBL team to win a pre-season game against an NBA opponent.

The 36ers will face off with the JackJumpers in their season opener on Thursday night before backing up against the Hawks less than 48 hours later.

An early title favourite, the 36ers are led by former Hawk Antonius Cleveland, Craig Randall II, Robert Franks and veteran big man Daniel Johnson..

Milestone Man

Kevin White will play his 300th NBL game against the 36ers Saturday evening.

A veteran of four NBL clubs, White returns for a second stint at the Hawks and his veteran presence has already had a positive impact on the young and developing Hawks roster.

 How to Watch

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

Hawks Socials

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