McGee stands tall to deliver Hawks crucial Perth win
Murray Wenzel |
Star import JaVale McGee has delivered to silence Perth and hand Illawarra a much-needed NBL victory.
The three-time NBA champion and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist made four crucial plays in the final minute at Perth’s RAC Arena on Saturday as the Hawks, coming off a 40-point loss last week, beat the Wildcats 85-84.
The 213cm centre (24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists) waged war with Wildcats big Jo Lual-Acuil (18 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks), who fouled out while attacking the rim with the game in the balance and four minutes to play.
Veteran Wildcat Jesse Wagstaff tried admirably to slow McGee, but the American was virtually unstoppable.
McGee put the Hawks ahead with 60 seconds to play, then hit a tough floater on their next trip up the floor for a one-point lead.
Teammate Tyler Harvey’s free-throws made it a three-point game with four seconds to play.
But Perth coach John Rillie’s set play was masterful, Elijah Pepper wide open from the in-bound pass for a three-pointer he swished that looked set to send the contest into overtime.
But with 1.2 seconds on the clock, Kristian Doolittle was fouled for hooking McGee’s arms as he attempted to pull in a pass and make the game-winning play.
McGee, 37, missed the first attempt, but defied the raucous home crowd to make his second.
He wasn’t done, McGee getting a fingertip to Wagstaff’s desperate final shot to seal a dramatic win.
“That felt good,” McGee said.
“Perth put up a hell of a fight; fans going crazy, everyone’s against us.
“That was definitely a crucial win. We came in with a mindset that we can’t lose any more games, and it showed.”
Lual-Acuil had been enormous in a 24-11 third quarter that swung the contest in the home team’s favour.
But in a game that featured 20 lead changes, Harvey (24 points, eight assists, five rebounds) lifted to improve last year’s champions to 2-4.
Pepper had 12 points for the Wildcats, while Ben Henshall, whose late attempted game-winner hit the front of the rim, had 17 points.
The Wildcats, who drop to 4-4, shot at 15 per cent from three-point range (5-of-32) as they await the arrival of import David Duke Jr, who was announced on Friday as the replacement for the axed Mason Jones.
Rillie was critical of what he viewed as overzealous officiating crippling the flow of the game, but just as hard on his own men.
“Players are the superstars, and only the players … let’s not get lost in why everyone is here,” he said.
“(But) we didn’t accumulate the little plays that allow you to win a scrappy game like that.
“You’ve got to find ways. They found ways, we didn’t.”
AAP
