Kings Survive Hawks Scare for Sixth Straight Win

Monday, January 16, 2023

The Illawarra Hawks defied their lowly position on the ladder to push the Sydney Kings, but the defending champions flexed their muscles late to extinguish hopes of an upset at Qudos Bank Arena.

With fewer than 70 seconds to go, the Hawks led the Kings. It was 79-78; a surreal scoreline that highlights just how unpredictable the NBL can be, and came via a Lachie Dent floater.

Then there was a tantalising Tyler Harvey teardrop that did everything but drop in the final minute with the Hawks continuing to show encouraging fight and heart despite how NBL23 has worked to conspire against them.

If not for a composed finish from the Kings, the Hawks may have delivered the upset of the season. Instead, the Kings escaped with an 84-79 victory and not for the first time, Illawarra was so close yet so far.

Hawks coach Jacob Jackomas game-planned a scrappy affair for his team on the back of yet another heartbreaking loss in Cairns on Friday, designed to frustrate and curtail the free-flowing offence of the Kings.

Jackomas would have been extremely happy with this team, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. But you can’t keep a good champion down for long, and the Kings found inspiration from a familiar source.

Derrick Walton Jr had the ball on a string in the first quarter, dazzling the crowd with a pair of Globetrotter-like assists in the opening three minutes.

The former Michigan Wolverine finished with a team-high 19 points and also had seven assists.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Make way for Xavier Cooks! ??<br><br>Watch live and free on 10 Peach and 10 play | Live on ESPN2 via Kayo Sports + Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/PGggiAbAcD">pic.twitter.com/PGggiAbAcD</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1614499187437228032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

But the Hawks were standing their ground, particularly in the paint. Sam Froling had a rough night in Cairns on Friday, but scored eight of the Hawks’ first 10 points, although foul trouble saw him earn an extended stint on the bench sooner than he would have liked.

Froling had 12 of his first 14 points in the first half, and added six of his nine rebounds. It helped the Hawks to navigate their way to an unlikely 29-21 lead with three minutes gone in the second quarter.

The Kings’ sparkplug Dejan Vasiljevic was 0/4 from the field in the first half (he would finish with four points); whereas opposing guard Tyler Harvey was running hot.

He had 15 points at the main break on 5/12 shooting, but was most deadly from three-point range at this stage (4/8). Harvey finished with a game-high 24 points on 8/22 shooting from the field.

The Kings, like the champions they are, clawed their way back into the contest in what felt like the blink of an eye, tying the game up at half-time (37-37) thanks to a Kouat Noi buzzer-beater three-pointer. It was his second from long range in the half, where he had eight of his 12 points.

The Kings’ American-Brazilian import Tim Soares continued his terrific run of form, catching and finishing on a Walton assist early in the third quarter that set a strong tone for the second half. The Kings scored 12 of the first 15 points of the third quarter, which saw them skip to a 49-40 lead.

Harvey continued to fire from outside the arc and added a fifth triple, but by the time the third quarter was over the Hawks found themselves in a 63-54 hole.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">TYLER HARVEY FROM THE <a href="https://twitter.com/HungryJacksAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HungryJacksAU</a> LOGO ?<br><br>Watch live and free on 10 Peach and 10 play | Live on ESPN2 via Kayo Sports + Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/rPSWge8Xfx">pic.twitter.com/rPSWge8Xfx</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1614517258738610177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

When Shaun Bruce lobbed to a high-flying Jaylin Galloway, the finish established a 13-point lead (67-54). Galloway, it must be said, was lively all game. He had 13 points and provided plenty of pace on the offensive end.

Back-to-back Hawks three-pointers, from Harvey (his sixth) and Lachlan Dent (his third, on his way to 15 points) closed it to 71-69 with four minutes to play. Soares and Walton again combined late, executing some terrific plays on the offensive end that gave Chase Buford reason to exhale. Falsely.

The Hawks didn’t give up, alongside the near heroics of Harvey and Dent, there was also a three-point shot from Deng Deng that would have likely sent the contest into overtime.

As it rimmed out, the Kings grabbed the rebound, and Galloway was immediately fouled before he closed out the contest with a pair of free throws to deliver an 84-79 lead. Nothing comes easy in the NBL.

MVP contender Xavier Cooks threatened a triple-double with another all-round performance made up of eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

But the Kings won, as they always do – and for the 17th time this season. And the Hawks lost in a valiant effort, which Jackomas will surely be tired of. It was their 21st defeat of the season. Kings coach Chase Buford acknowledged they are far better than that.

Kings coach Chase Buford was full of respect to the Hawks and relieved to get the win.

"Credit to the Hawks, they just played a game a couple of nights ago. [They] travelled yesterday and they come and scrap and fight. Credit to the Hawks for making it a tough contest," Buford said.

We made a bunch of poor passes and we were slow and sticky with the ball all night long. They're not going to be all 49-point games. It was a close game but not a pretty basketball game for either side necessarily.

"At the end of the day, we have to be better. Whether it is eking one out, but they all count the same at the end of the day."

Hawks coach Jacob Jackomas was again pleased with his team's effort, but just hopes they soon get reward with a win.

"Just like the other ones. We're competing. I mean, we're showing a different kind of toughness now. It is easy as things get on to lose belief," Jackomas said.

"Obviously the Kings are the benchmark of the league. Every time we play one of these games, we get a little bit tougher. For everyone's future in the room, it has got to be bright.

"What we've done well is put us in into a position to win every time. Basketball is a game of runs. We have been ahead in the first quarter and lost at the end of games. Losing is disappointing but the way we are playing isn't disappointing."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Buzzer Beater for Noi ?<br><br>Watch live and free on 10 Peach and 10 play | Live on ESPN2 via Kayo Sports + Foxtel ? <a href="https://t.co/01yUZqZOAq">pic.twitter.com/01yUZqZOAq</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1614504735691935744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Kings hit the road to gear up for what is historically the hardest test in the NBL, an RAC Arena date with the Perth Wildcats on Friday night.

The Hawks head home to host Aron Baynes and the Brisbane Bullets on Saturday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 15

SYDNEY KINGS 84 (Walton Jr 19, Soares 15, Galloway 13)

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 79 (Harvey 24, Dent 15, Froling 14)

BOX SCORE