Hawks Show Resilience in Narrow Loss to Adelaide
The Illawarra Hawks endured a heartbreaking 90-88 defeat against the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday afternoon, rebounding strongly after a previous heavy loss. After recording one of their lowest scores in franchise history just days before, the Hawks delivered perhaps their best performance of the NBL26 season.
Hickey's Near Triple-Double
Will "Davo" Hickey almost made history with a standout game, scoring a team-high 20 points alongside nine rebounds, eight assists, and four blocks. He narrowly missed becoming only the second Indigenous player in league history to achieve a triple-double, falling one rebound and two assists short.
With just 1.6 seconds remaining, Hickey had two free throws that could have tied the game, but unfortunately, he missed both shots.
Coach Tatum Praises Team's Effort
Illawarra head coach Justin Tatum was pleased with the team's resilience, especially given the context of a heavy 102-60 loss to the New Zealand Breakers just 48 hours earlier. The Hawks had not won in Adelaide for four years prior to this game.
"I tip my hat off to my team for coming back and having so much resilience and fighting them today. They gave a great effort on both ends of the floor, just a little bit unlucky," Tatum said. "If my team plays like this every game from now on with a full, healthy roster, we can beat anybody."
Summary
The Hawks showed remarkable determination in a close loss, with Hickey delivering a near historic performance and the coach urging confidence for the future.
Author's summary: Despite falling short in a tight finish, the Illawarra Hawks demonstrated impressive grit and team effort, signaling strong potential as the season progresses.