The Illawarra Hawks are reevaluated their strategies to return to victory against the NBL champions Tasmania JackJumpers following two back-to-back losses at home. Coach Justin Tatum expressed his team's frustrations and desperation to get their campaign back on track at the WIN Entertainment Centre.
The Hawks faced the JackJumpers on January 7, coming off a tough defeat against the lowly Cairns Taipans, where they squandered the chance to extend their lead at the top of the NBL table. An upcourt throw from the Hawks was intercepted, allowing Rob Edwards to tie the game with just 2.2 seconds remaining. The late-game drama escalated when Trey Kell III's inbound pass was intercepted, resulting in Pedro Bradshaw being fouled by Hyunjung Lee. This led to Taran Armstrong making all three free throws, concluding the match with the Taipans triumphantly ending their 15-game losing streak with a 108-105 win.
Compounding their troubles, the NBL Game Review Panel charged Hickey for kicking Pedro Bradshaw. The panel concluded the third-quarter incident was intentional, with low impact and body contact. Following the ruling, the Hawks accepted the findings, which led to Hickey receiving a $700 fine.
Tatum remarked, “Hickey had apologized to his teammates for lashing out at Bradshaw and acknowledged his errors late in the fourth quarter.” He emphasized the need for players to understand game IQ and noted, “We talked about the IQ part of the play, how we should have held the ball and possibly gotten fouled. We do not need to foul someone attempting such long shots.”
Despite the chaotic last moments of the game, Tatum mentioned the importance of moving past the loss quickly. He stated, “We’ve moved on quickly because the guys have beat themselves up already for putting us in this predicament. We needed to address it because we don’t want similar mistakes occurring later this season.”
With the Hawks’ recent home game struggles, they were eager to secure victories, particularly against Tasmania. “We feed off our crowd momentum. Even though we have a solid road record, we love to play at home,” said Tatum. The coach also highlighted their disappointment at not matching the intensity expected by their supporters.
Now, with only nine games left before the playoffs, Tatum remains focused on the future. He said, “We aim to win all of them, but if we win six or seven of those, we will be well-positioned to head to the finals.”
He added, “It’s good to play against such a structured and well-coached team like Tasmania. We expect them to give us their best shot, just as we will. Having trained well after our shocking loss against Cairns, players are now more vocal about regaining their hunger.”
With the next game against the JackJumpers scheduled for 7:30 PM at the WEC, the Hawks are prepared to embrace the challenge and showcase their resilience on the court.