The Illawarra Hawks are back to square one after entering last night’s clash with momentum from their win over Melbourne United, only to be dismantled by the Sydney Kings in a one-sided affair, with new import Andrew Carr and reigning Finals MVP Kendric Davis leading the charge.
Watch every NBL game LIVE with ESPN, available on Kayo | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
The Kings walked away with a dominant 108-82 victory, their second consecutive win, moving to second on the NBL standings with a 5-2 record as they continue to showcase one of the league’s best defensive units.
For the Hawks, however, it was another disappointing result, leaving the 2024-25 champions searching for answers after a subpar performance in front of their home crowd.
All this and more on NBL Wrap.
‘THERE WERE GUYS GOING ROGUE’
Illawarra Hawks head coach Justin Tatum did not shy away from his side’s struggles following the heavy 26-point defeat, which marked the Hawks’ seventh loss in their opening nine games.
For Tatum, the turning point came in the second quarter, when the Kings began to take control, outscoring Illawarra 28-17 to establish a comfortable lead.
“It was probably sometime in the second quarter where they started to pull away a little bit for us,” he said.
“You know, us turning the ball over, we went into some iso-ball here and there and they just turned their defence intensity up and found a way to get easy baskets.”
The Hawks had gone toe-to-toe with Sydney in the opening quarter, with both sides struggling to find their shooting rhythm early.
Despite sharpshooter Tyler Harvey erupting for 15 points in the first quarter, Illawarra found themselves trailing 20-19 at the first break.
However, things quickly unravelled in the second period, with the Hawks falling into isolation-heavy offence and struggling to generate quality looks against Sydney’s relentless defence.
Tatum admitted his players moved away from their offensive structure, with too many individual plays allowing the Kings to dictate the game.
“At times there were guys going rogue offensively,” he said.
“I got guys at times that, you know, feel that they can or haven’t touched the ball in a while and you know they get a shot up instead of trusting the offence and making Sydney work on the defensive end.
“They’re really good at recovering. They’re really good at rebounding. They’re really good at guarding the guy. And so moving the ball is a must against a team like this. And at times we got flat in one-on-ones.
“I’m not here to specifically call no names out, because we’re a team, so us as a whole, at times, all had bad patches.”
Illawarra’s offensive struggles were reflected in the numbers, with the Hawks shooting just 28-of-74 (37.8%) from the field.
Imports Milton Doyle and Kelan Martin had little impact, combining for just six points on 2-of-15 shooting (13%), while Sam Froling endured a difficult night, finishing with just one point.
It was another frustrating performance for a Hawks side that entered the season with high expectations but now finds itself sitting at 2-7.
Despite the disappointing start, Tatum remains confident his squad can turn things around.
“It’s a tough end for us right now being two and seven,” Tatum said.
NBL Daily: Wildcats rocked by double blow as star suffers injury setback
“But I still have a thousand percent faith in this group, you know, to be able to bounce back Saturday.”
With Illawarra continuing to struggle for consistency, questions remain over when the club will fill its vacant third import position.
The Hawks have been hesitant to make a move, with Tatum previously expressing his desire for the current group to find some form before introducing another player into the rotation.
However, the Hawks coach confirmed the club remains active in its search for the right addition.
“Yeah, we’re right there. We’re working every day,” he said.
“On the phone every day, doing our best to find the best piece available that’s going to fit this group on and off the court.
“So we’re right there. We’re right there. We just got to hold the fort down.”
Illawarra will now turn its attention to Saturday’s clash against the ninth-placed Brisbane Bullets, with both sides desperate for a victory as they look to climb the standings.
‘THAT RIVALRY IS REAL’
While the Hawks continue to search for answers, the Sydney Kings are beginning to find their rhythm, recording their second consecutive victory with a dominant 26-point win over their New South Wales rivals.
For head coach Brian Goorjian, one of the most pleasing aspects of the performance was the contribution from his bench, an area he has placed significant emphasis on following several inconsistent performances in recent rounds.
“The last three games we’ve played at home have been patchy, and we knew that,” he said.
“The reason why Tyler (Robertson) is here next to me right now is I just spent a lot of work and a lot of talk about our bench.
“I think it’s a real strength.”
The Kings were clinical throughout the night, shooting 52.6% from the field and an impressive 40.7% from beyond the arc, with several players stepping up in a well-rounded team performance.
However, it was import Andrew Carr who stole the show, producing his best performance in the NBL with 16 points and a remarkable 20 rebounds.
The American big man, who arrived in Sydney with big shoes to fill following the departure of championship-winning import Tim Soares, continues to grow into his role under Goorjian.
The Kings coach was full of praise for Carr, highlighting his versatility, basketball IQ and the impact he has made both on and off the court.
“He’s first year and he’s is young, when you look at (Jayden) Stone, when you look at Will (Johnston), he’s the same age and he’s never played overseas before,” he said.
“And we see it at practice. Not only do we got a great locker room guy and team guy, but he’s a really good basketball player and multiskilled, can guard multiple positions, can make decisions with the dribble, can play with his back. We’re pretty fortunate.”
The victory also continued Sydney’s dominance over Illawarra this season, with the Kings now holding a 2-0 record against their rivals, winning by an average margin of 23.5 points.
The longstanding rivalry between the two New South Wales clubs has only intensified in recent seasons, particularly following Illawarra’s championship success.
For Goorjian, who has been involved in some of the NBL’s fiercest rivalries throughout his coaching career, the importance of getting the better of a direct rival has never changed.
“Going back in this thing, if you’re going to win the championship, you got to be the best team in your own city,” he said.
“Back in the day, it was against the Melbourne Tigers and Andrew Gaze, (Lanard) Copeland and (Mark) Bradtke. And when I first came back to this, they (Illawarra) were champions.
“They were the best team in the country. And if you’re not beating them, you’re not going and doing what we need to do.
“So they’ve been a target. And then that rivalry is real. And I think the first year, they dominated us the whole year. And so, you know, there’s been a conscious effort of we need to get on top of this.”
With two consecutive wins under their belt and momentum beginning to build, the Kings will now turn their attention to Sunday’s blockbuster clash against Melbourne United.
The highly anticipated matchup will see star guards Kendric Davis and Cole Anthony go head-to-head for the first time this season, with Sydney looking to extend its winning streak and further cement its place among the NBL’s leading contenders.
Leave a Reply