Hawks soar as Bullets produce diabolically-bad start
Justin Chadwick |
Illawarra’s Championship defence is back on track after capitalising on the hottest of hot starts on the way to a crushing 116-89 NBL win over Brisbane in Wollongong.
The opening six minutes of Saturday’s clash were a bloodbath as the Hawks produced a devastating 25-3 run from the tip-off to set up a match-winning lead.
Illawarra entered the match with a 0-3 record and having just been smashed 117-88 by fellow strugglers NZ Breakers.
Adding to the early-season turmoil, Illawarra parted ways with import guard JaQuori McLaughlin in the lead-up to the match.
But the Hawks looked every bit of a Championship-winning team against Brisbane, with guard Tyler Harvey leading the way with 22 points to go with a career-high 10 assists plus five steals.
Former NBA centre JaVale McGee (13 points, 12 rebounds), Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (12 points), Mason Peatling (13 points) and Todd Blanchfield (13 points) also produced strong displays in a formidable team performance.
Casey Prather (28 points, nine rebounds) played a lone hand for Brisbane, with the team hitting just one of their first 17 three-point attempts on the way to 3-of-22 for the match.
In contrast, Illawarra nailed 11-of-25 from long range, while also dominating the rebound battle 38-28.
Brisbane arrived nursing a 1-3 record and having lost homesick American import Javon Freeman-Liberty, who was cut to allow him to focus on his mental health and heal from a serious hamstring injury.
The Bullets hit just one of their first 10 field-goal attempts as the Hawks went on a devastating scoring spree to open up a 22-point lead after six minutes.
Seven points to Prather at least allowed Brisbane to claw the scoreline back to 34-18 by quarter time.
Bullets centre Tyrell Harrison picked up his third foul just 90 seconds into the second term, but the Hawks were also dealt a blow when guard Dan Grida appeared to dislocated his right shoulder while attempting to trap a high pass.
Prather drained 10 points in the second quarter, but the Hawks’ even spread of contributors meant the home side went to half-time boasting a dominant 68-47 lead.
It marked the highest first-half score of the season to date, with Harvey (11 points), McGee (11) and Blanchfield (10) all hitting double figures.
The energetic Grida was able to return to the court in the second half to give the Hawks further pep, and the 18-point margin at three-quarter time become 25 points early in the last after Illawarra hit three big triples.
AAP
