"We’re headed back to the Gong, we’re coming home.”  Justin Tatum

One down, less than 10 seconds left on the clock … is there anyone more lethal with those cards on the table than Hawks skipper Tyler Harvey?

Bryce Cotton? Chris Goulding? On clutch shot-making alone, the Illawarra talisman is at least the equal of any other player in the NBL – and not just this season – but he’s never made a shot more consequential than the three-ball he let fly with seven seconds on the clock on Wednesday night

Staring down the barrel of an 0-2 series deficit and having just sent United star Ian Clark to the line for three freebies and a two-point lead, Harvey took an in-bound pass and, with a jab-step, let what proved the game-winner go from the corner. 

Ironically, it was over Clark, who played near perfect defence to avoid returning the favour from moments earlier and sending Harvey to the line. It was a case of good defence, great offense.  

Goulding had his opportunity for a late Hail Mary, but it was well off, the Hawks squaring the series and sending it back to Wollongong with a 102-100 win. 

“To be honest with you I was really pissed about the play [before] when I fouled Clark,” Harvey said. 

“During the [final] timeout, I was like, ‘God, just give me a chance to redeem myself’ because it was just such a bonehead play and almost cost us a game. 

“I'm just thankful that my teammates trusted me and gave me the ball, and sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't. Tonight, it just went in.”

Until the final shot kissed the bottom of the net, it looked every bit a glaring capitulation when Clark drained three from the line, taking a lead for the hosts and overhauling a nine-point three-quarter-time deficit. 

It gave them all the cards heading down the stretch only for Harvey to claim the full pot on the river with his late dagger that saw him finish with 24 points.  

With the series now effectively back at the start line, it could be looked back upon as the play that decides the whole thing. For his part, Harvey’s anticipating many more big moments to come, but said withstanding the late run on the road was a huge sign of maturity for his team. 

“We talk a lot about the next play,” Harvey said.  

“I think that’s the most important thing in the playoffs, because if you don’t the game is moving too fast and you're going to get left behind, especially when you have a team on a run. 

“If you're not moving on to the next play, that run can turn into a 15-point run instead of maybe a three, four, or five. The moment's so important, and those are the moments that you want to be in. 

“Going down 2-0 to a team like [United] would be very difficult, we knew that coming in, so it was basically a must-win game for us.”   

Big three bounce back … again 

They’ve ridden see-sawing personal fortunes through the post-season but, true to form, the Hawks three joint-MVPs Sam Froling, Trey Kell and Harvey stood up in a tough road environment after the latter two in particular endured a rough night in the series opener.

The All-NBL First Team pair combined for just 15 points at 7-21 in the first-up defeat, but Kell had chalked up 10 by halftime, while they had 13 and 15 points respectively at the half 

Both endured mixed nights from deep but found most of their early points by getting two feet into the paint, with Kell making eight trips to the foul-line and finishing with eight rebounds, six assists and four steals to go with 18 points.  

Froling the beast as Tatum unleashes bully-ball line-up 

There had been plenty of discussion around his use of small-ball lineups through the semi-final series against the Phoenix, and at stages of his side’s game-one defeat, but Tatum leant into some front-court muscle in game two.

Froling led the assault and was the most bankable play on must-score possessions down the stretch, finishing with 23 points at 64 per cent from the field, five rebounds and three assists in what proved the telling performance of the evening. 

“He’s a young vet,” Tatum said of his co-skipper.  

“I said this is going to be a Sam Froling series where he's going to have a big impact. Last series really wasn't because of the matchup problems, but this is a good series for him and he's consistently producing. We're going to find ways to keep rolling the ball in. 

“I told him he might have to die on the court today before I take him out. He stood up to the competition and he played well.” 

Froling’s inside presence, and the Hawks willingness to go to it, saw Jack White and Rob Loe notch three fouls each before halftime. United’s chief rim-protector Marcus Lee also copped his third early in the third term and was left toothless on defence after conceding his fourth early in the final quarter. 

It made the two-big lineup featuring Froling and Lachy Olbrich literally too big for a foul-stricken United front court, with the Hawks +14 with the latter on the floor. One gets the impression it won’t be the last time we see it unleashed this series.  

“When we found out we had a couple in foul trouble, Jack White and Rob Loe,” Tatum said when asked what prompted the two-big change-up.  

“We know our bigs, during practice through the whole season, they play well together. That was something we wanted to keep up our sleeve, and it benefited us for a while.  

“[Olbrich’s] mobility, his ability to be wiry around a basket, make unorthodox layups, he's just always in the right place sometimes when he goes out there.  

“He's a matchup problem for the other five because he can hedge and then he can get in a short roll and make baskets so Lachy’s a really good intangible for us.”  

Party just getting started 

After two gruelling games, you sense the Hawks are heading back to Wollongong with momentum on their side given the three remaining games – should the series progress that far – will be played at the WIN Entertainment Centre. 

It bodes well for the Hawks faithful, but Tatum remained measured in the wake of the last-gasp win.  

“We just needed to get to the party,” Tatum said. 

“We weren’t at the party, we were down. Now we’re at the party, we got invited, so that's it. We’re headed back to the Gong, we’re coming home.”  

Tip-off of Game Three at Wollongong Entertainment Centre on Sunday is at 5.30pm