Lowery calls decisive Game 3 factor

Illawarra Hawks legend Damon Lowery has concluded Wednesday night's do-or-die Game 3 clash between his former side and Melbourne United will largely come down to one thing. Belief.

United and the Hawks will contest the decisive game of their Playoff Series on Wednesday night, where the winner will progress to the Championship Series, while the loser will have their season ended in heartbreaking circumstances.

Melbourne has been the top-seeded team for the entirety of NBL24, and haven’t lost two straight games all season. Illawarra, on the other hand, managed a late-season surge into the top four following the appointment of Justin Tatum to the head coach position.

“Belief can’t be measured … belief carries a team and makes up for lack of shooting percentages, turnovers, it makes up for so much and unless you’ve been in a team that actually has it you don’t really grasp what I’m saying,” Lowery said on NBL Now.

“I was lucky enough to be in a team that found ways to win when we weren’t supposed to. Melbourne United are used to winning – they do it all the time – they haven’t lost two games all season, they just walk around being the best dudes. The Illawarra Hawks walk around believing they’re lions.

“It is the intangibles that gets you through a semi-final series to a Championship Series. Those intangibles cannot be found on a video, those intangibles cannot be dissected in a coaches' meeting room, the Illawarra Hawks for mine have those intangibles, that thing you can’t quite put your finger on, they have that. It’s camaraderie, it’s never say die, it’s never quit, it’s the cardiac kids.

“Just when you think we’re not supposed to be here we show up and say ‘what the hell is going on in here? You forgot about us’.”

“Melbourne United, yes they have the talent, yes they have home court advantage, but do they have the same belief they can get it done like Illawarra do? We’re going to find out, but I think Illawarra’s got the most.”

Both games of the series so far have needed an overtime period to be decided, but Lowery thinks the chances of a third overtime clash to decide the series is almost impossible.

Melbourne snatched Game 1 from the Hawks due to a late-game comeback in the final term, before United waltzed home in overtime, and William Hickey hit a last second shot to force overtime in Game 2, which the Hawks went on to win.

Lowery says both teams likely think the series should already be over.

“These two teams have both blown a game, both of these teams already feel like this series should be over. Illawarra blew game one, and then Melbourne get to Illawarra in Game 2 and can’t make a free throw down the stretch to blow that game. Here we are,” he said.

“I don’t know who could possibly predict back-to-back overtime games in a best-of-three series. There is absolutely no way on God’s green earth that this game is going to overtime, it just can’t happen.

“I can’t wait, I’m so anxious for these two games. Both semi-final series’ giving us three games, spoiling us rotten with great basketball, I don’t know what to say apart from ‘let’s just get it on’.”

The Game 3 decider between Melbourne and Illawarra will tip off at 7:30pm AEDT on Wednesday, live on ESPN via Kayo.