What is Illawarra's secret Finals weapon?

Are the Illawarra Hawks genuine title contenders? With a round to play in the NBL24 regular season they’re still not locked into a Finals position, but Derek Rucker believes a key aspect of Illawarra’s incredible turnaround could prove a point of difference in the race for the championship.

The Hawks overcame local rivals Sydney in a Sunday hoops masterclass in Round 19. They cruised down the freeway, waltzed into Qudos Bank Arena and emerged with an 11-point win that has the potential to relegate the Kings outside the top six at the end of the season.

The victory came after a narrow defeat to New Zealand to open the round. Had the Hawks managed to overcome the Breakers, their status as a top six side would now have been confirmed.

Rucker says the Hawks’ ability to win on the road will be a key component to any potential Finals push.

“The fact they can go on the road and win basketball games is significant. Not many teams are able to do that, especially on big occasions,” Rucker said on Moments That Mattered.

“They held their nerve here, when Sydney came back – and we knew at some point Sydney was going to throw counter-punches – Illawarra didn’t flinch, they held their nerve, they stayed with what had been working, and they just won a very professional game. In fact, it was very Melbourne United-like.

“Full credit to the Illawarra Hawks and their head coach Justin Tatum, who devised a strategy several weeks ago and came in here on Christmas Day and execute it perfectly, but to come in here twice and in a game of more importance, to get it done again – that’s something you rarely see in this competition.

“The Hawks smacked the Kings in the face to take possession of fourth place in the NBL going into Round 20.”

Illawarra will tackle both of the competition’s top-two sides in its Round 20 double-header. The Hawks will welcome Perth to the WIN Entertainment Centre on Thursday night before they travel to Melbourne to take on United on Sunday.

A pair of defeats will leave the Hawks’ Finals fate out of their own hands come the end of the round, but Rucker believes the club’s resurgence under Tatum will continue.

“I’ve got them in, it’s just a matter of whether they’re in the top four or not. We know they play well against Perth,” he continued.

“They’ve got Perth coming into town and I think they can handle Perth, and then they may go against a Melbourne United that’s playing a roster that might protect some of their star players heading into the Finals. It very well could be the Hawks win their final two games of the season to finish 15-13.

“Before you can instill any of that schematic stuff, the x’s and o’s, you’ve got to get the buy-in, you’ve got to reach the players’ brains, and you’ve got to reach the players’ hearts. You’ve got to get them the buy in to what you’re trying to do in terms of strategy, and Justin Tatum has obviously done that effectively.

“He’s now 11-6 since taking over the job from Jacob Jackomas, so if you look at it that’s an outstanding rate. 11 out of 17 games when half the league is well below the .500 mark. He’s up there in the top three or four coaches for Coach of the Year, and who knows where this team can go when they reach the Finals?”

The Hawks’ season will continue on Thursday night when they host the Wildcats at 7:30pm AEDT, live on ESPN via Kayo.