Harvey lifts Hawks over gutsy Snakes

It turned out one of the more dramatic games of #NBL21 in Wollongong on Sunday with the Tyler Harvey-inspired Illawarra Hawks making it consecutive two-point wins holding off a brave yet shorthanded Cairns Taipans.

With Harvey on fire, the Hawks looked to be running away with the Sunday evening battle at WIN Entertainment Centre racing to a 14-point lead to start the second quarter, but Oliver and the Taipans weren’t about to lie down.

Despite arriving already missing regular starters Majok Deng and Kouat Noi, and then losing superstar point guard Scott Machado to a corked leg by half-time, the Snakes continued to fight and gave themselves a chance to snatch it.

Harvey produced an unstoppable night and when he hit his fifth triple of the game to give him 35 points, the Hawks were up 76-71 with 2:40 remaining. But Taipans rookie Mojave King drained a three just seconds after development player Tad Dufelmeier did the same to keep them close.

It was a two-point game before a Justin Simon putback made it four but then Jordan Ngatai's triple had it back to a one-point game with 16 seconds on the clock. Justinian Jessup hit two free-throws but still the Snakes had a chance to tie and Ngatai's good look at three looked good.

But it would rattle out and the Hawks held on for a second straight two-point win at home while the Taipans slipped to another tough loss despite the brave effort.

On top of Harvey's career-best 35 points for the Hawks, Simon had 10 points and six rebounds, Deng Deng nine points, six boards and three steals, AJ Ogilvy eight points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks, and Jessup eight points.

Hawks coach Brian Goorjian was just relieved to get away with the win.

"We didn’t play great, no doubt, but I knew coming into this tonight on the end of a three-game home stand with three games in five days, and where we went to win that last game, and then hosting a team rested who comes in here, what do you expect?" Goorjian said. 

"I thought we got off to a great start but our bigs got into foul trouble and I ended up going deep into the rotation, and we found a way to win. 

"We played off Tyler and it wasn’t pretty, but the team has showed tremendous resolve and that was a game that certainly we could have lost given all the circumstances."

Oliver was superb for Cairns with 27 points, 12 rebounds and five assists while development player Dufelmeier delivered 12 points, three steals and two rebounds, and the veteran Kenny nine points and three assists. Jawai also had nine points, Mirko Djeric eight and Ngatai seven.

Taipans coach Mike Kelly certainly had a lot to be proud about in the fight shown by his group.

"I thought in the second half especially the guys played with great energy and intent, and in the last 15 minutes especially it seemed like they really started to get up and in, and affecting Illawarra's offence a little bit with our defence and attacking more on offence," Kelly said.

"We were executing better and showed good energy. Then even with the last play, I didn’t see exactly how we screened but that's what we were hoping for was a good look there and he did a good job with the little sidestep. We gave ourselves a chance."

The Hawks caught the Taipans napping at the start racing out to a 7-0 lead before Cam Oliver got the Taipans on the board with a triple. But when Tyler Harvey connected from deep the home side still led 13-5 and then 16-9 still with another three ball from Deng Deng.

Oliver, though, was keeping Cairns close with 11 opening quarter points before Mirko Djeric came on to hit five quickly, but the Hawks were still up 25-20 by quarter-time with a Deng Deng three just before the buzzer.

Oliver sate for the opening three minutes of the second quarter and Illawarra took full advantage. The Hawks held the Taipans scoreless for the first 3:30 while scoring nine points themselves to go up 34-20.

Oliver returned for the Cairns and scored immediately before the Snakes got triples from Djeric and Jarrod Kenny, and an and-one from Scott Machado.

But the Hawks remained on top and still led 46-35 by half-time with a huge dunk from Deng on the back of 25 rebounds to 13 including 10 at the offensive end to three.

The Taipans lost Machado at half-time but still had Oliver and he put the Snakes on his back in the third quarter. In fact he scored 10 points himself to match what the Hawks did as a team, and that helped Cairns only trail Illawarra by five at three quarter-time.

The Taipans drew level to start the fourth term on the back of seven quick points from Nate Jawai. But the Hawks would pull away again on the back of nine quick Harvey points, and then a putback from Simoon.

That saw the home team up 12 but the Taipans weren’t going away and went on their own 9-0 run to get back within three points.

It seemed destined to go down to the wire from there and it did. Simon missed two free-throws and despite grabbing the offensive rebound, lost possession and the Taipans hit a subsequent three from Jordan Ngatai with 16 seconds left to make it a one-point game.

Then after two free-throws for the Hawks from Justinian Jessup, the Snakes got a good look at the tying three but it rattled out from Ngatai and Illawarra held on for the two-point win.

The Hawks now head back to Perth to take on the Wildcats on Friday night while the Taipans head back to Cairns to host the Adelaide 36ers on Wednesday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 13

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 82 (Harvey 35, Simon 10, Deng 9)

CAIRNS TAIPANS 80 (Oliver 27, Dufelmeier 12, Kenny 9, Jawai 9) 

BOX SCORE