Sixers ready for huge Hawks challenge

Adelaide will face an Illawarra Hawks at the WIN Entertainment Centre on New Year’s Eve full of confidence after their Christmas Day success in Sydney.

The Hawks have won four of their past six games under new head coach Justin Tatum, including a last-up 94-90 success over arch-rivals Sydney Kings on Christmas Day at Qudos Bank Arena.

Illawarra were missing off-season recruits Mason Peatling (cheekbone) and Hyunjung Lee (illness) when Trentyn Flowers scored 18 points in the final quarter in Adelaide’s 89-80 success against the Hawks back in October.

The Hawks are now back close to full strength, with only Daniel Grida missing from the side and Illawarra has several weapons in multiple positions for Tatum to exploit a winning game plan.

Adelaide go into the Hawks clash looking to rebound quickly after Thursday night’s disappointing 100-82 loss to Perth Wildcats at the Entertainment Centre.

THE KEY
In his first NBL season, Gary Clark has quickly become one of the premiere power forwards in the competition.

Clark has averaged 15.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per night for the Hawks and has combined with big man Sam Froling as a nice one-two punch for new Illawarra coach Justin Tatum.

The 198cm power forward has been everywhere for Illawarra and is a real barometer for the Hwks.

Clark has played 177 NBA games over five seasons and has since played with Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico of the G League before now embarking on a first foray out of the Americas to join the Hawks for NBL24.

Expect a marquee match-up of Clark going head-to-head with 36ers import power forward Jacob Wiley in what looms to be one of the game breaking individual contests.

Froling will combine with Clark and Tatum has moved to use his big man tandem a lot to score the ball for the Hawks.

Isaac Humphries will be the man to stop Froling and along with Wiley, whoever wins this match-up at the power forward and centre positions will go a long way to what team wins the game.

THE SECRET
He is no secret to the NBL, but with the Hawks looking to their big man tandem of Clark and Frolin, Tyler Harvey can not slip under the radar.

Harvey has been one of the main players for the Hawks for several years and will again play a big role in Illawarra’s backcourt, along with another former NBA player Juston Robinson.

Into his fourth season at Illawarra, Harvey can take over a game by himself, his sharpshooting can turn the momentum of the game in a matter of minutes.

The NBL21 MVP runner-up averages 14.4 points per game this season, the lowest over his four-year NBL career, but has won two games by himself so far this season against Cairns Taipans and South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Robinson missed the entire NBL23 campaign with a knee injury in the opening match last season, but has returned to the Hawks to partner Harvey in the guard spot.

From the opening tip-off expect the Harvey-Robinson backcourt to go head-to-head with Trey Kell and DJ Vasiljevic which looms as a whole lot of points on the scoreboard.

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DEPTH CHART
PG: Robinson / Johnson / Bayles
SG: Harvey / Lee / Hickey
SF: Swaka Lo Buluk / Blanchfield / Grida (inj) / Morris
PF: Clark / Peatling
C: Froling / Olbrich / Yates

THE FINAL WORD
Adelaide again go on the road on New Year’s Eve and players still on the roster from NBL23 will remember all too well what happened in Cairns last season.

The 36ers will face a well-rested Hawks outfit who hasn’t played since their huge Christmas Day when on the road against Sydney Kings.

Head coach Scott Ninnis has said for his side to play another game so quickly after Thursday night’s defeat at home is a real blessing.

Expect Adelaide to change some things up at both ends of the floor, with potentially a new starting line-up and some key changes to the rotation.

The equation is simple for the 36ers, the club must end 2023 with a victory or the hopes for the NBL24 campaign will continue to slip away.