NBL Cup Preview v Illawarra Hawks

The Adelaide 36ers look to put Week 2 at the NBL Cup quickly behind them when they take on the Illawarra Hawks for the first time this season at Melbourne's State Basketball Centre on Thursday.

The 36ers had a couple of games to forget in the second week of the NBL Cup starting slowly against Melbourne United before a spirited comeback but ultimate nine-point loss and then a similarly bad start that never improved against the New Zealand Breakers resulting in a 44-point defeat.

The added cruel blow on top of the results for the Sixers was a foot injury to imposing big man and MVP fancy Isaac Humphries.

He's expected to miss four to six weeks with injury and Melbourne-based big man Jack Purchase has been added to the 36ers squad as an injury replacement player and he will suit up and be ready to play against the Hawks on Thursday.

While the loss to the Breakers was especially disappointing with Humphries going down injured and then the 36ers unable to spark a comeback like they did against Melbourne when they were able to end up winning the second, third and fourth quarters, Thursday provides a chance to quickly bounce back.

The absence of Humphries is obviously a significant blow but it offers an opportunity to Keanu Pinder to start up front and show what he's capable of.

It will also offer a chance for Owen Hulland to back him while Purchase cold hit the floor too and it could even work in the favour of Daniel Johnson to make him an even bigger focus on the offence.

The Sixers can also go small at times and use Jack McVeigh in a more significant role while the flow on effect could be the chance to play guards Josh Giddey, Sunday Dech, Brendan Teys, Daniel Dillon and Alex Mudronja together for longer stretches and for three-guard rotations to be in effect at times when starting small forward Tony Crocker needs a breather.

While the loss to New Zealand could have been deflating, the fact remains the 36ers are still in a decent place this NBL season with a 6-7 record with games against the Hawks and Cairns Taipans over the next three days.

Both those teams have been struggling with the Hawks having now lost five of their past seven matches after starting the 2021 season winning their first four games.

This will be the first time that the 36ers and Hawks have met this season, and it will be the first time that head coaches Conner Henry and Brian Goorjian have gone head to head since the 2008/09 season when Henry was in charge of the Perth Wildcats and Goorjian of the South Dragons.

Henry isn’t worried about that, though, he has been impressed with how the Sixers have come together the last couple of days on the practice floor after freshening up after Sunday, and he's looking forward to seeing how they respond now against Illawarra.

"We gave the boys two full days off and then really over the last two days we've had very good training sessions mixed in with some rest and physio appointments, and massage and ice cold baths just to try and freshen up physically," Henry said on his Ask the Coach segment on Sixers Fix with Scott Ninnis.

"I think we were beat up after four games in seven days. Not to make any excuses, everybody was in the same boat but we needed these two days and I think based on the last two training sessions we'll play really hard and play together against the Hawks."

2020/21 Hungry Jack's NBL Season – Round 8
NBL Cup Week 3

Adelaide 36ers v Illawarra Hawks
State Basketball Centre, Thursday 7.00pm ACDT

Broadcast – ESPN, SBS on Demand, NBL TV, Twitch