The 'big Hawk energy' uniting Illawarra

For the first time since the final round of NBL22 Illawarra has won two consecutive games, and Hawks legend Damon Lowery believes the togetherness fostered within the group has been crucial in the club’s rise off the foot of the NBL ladder.

Illawarra’s last two wins have come by 18 and 28 points respectively, and last season’s bottom side has now moved just two wins behind the Play-In positions.

The side’s big three of Tyler Harvey, Sam Froling and Gary Clark all fired in the pair of victories, and Lowery says there’s a newfound self-belief in the group.

“We cannot understate or underestimate the power of the fist,” Lowey said on NBL Now. “They are pushing in the back-to-back direction.

“When you can get guys united ‘Band of Brothers’ style – there are lots of teams out there, I’m sure Melbourne United is as close as you can be – but they’re playing for something different, the Illawarra Hawks are playing for something different.

“They’re playing for each other, pride, respectability. It’s a glorious thing to watch and it doesn’t matter who you put in front of them, they’re like that little, bitty dog who ‘s looking at its humungous shadow and thinking ‘maybe I’m a lion’.

“That’s why you feel the energy, there’s that Hawk vibe that’s permeating through the NBL24 landscape, they did it again.

“It’s great to see.”

Despite the Hawks’ resurgence under Justin Tatum, Lowery has called on Illawarra to pump the brakes on its search for a head coach and to not make a move “based off emotion and euphoria”.

Tatum has won three of his four games in charge of the previously embattled club, and the only defeat came by just one point to the Brisbane Bullets.

“First and foremost, I am a Justin Tatum fan, what he has done,” Lowery continued. “The Hawks management almost can’t be trusted because they get too excited and give away contracts willy nilly.

“Just let the season play out.

“I think if they make the playoffs, you have a two-year deal. If you don’t make the playoffs I’m going to throw that net wide and interview everybody in the world, while keeping in mind Justin is still a frontrunner.”