First Look at Hurt as Hawks Claim Win

It was an ultra-offensive showing, with the Carrara Stadium crowd treated to a free-flowing game of basketball. 

For the first time this pre-season, the full Phoenix roster was at Mike Kelly’s disposal, Australian basketball getting their first look at former NBA forward Matt Hurt.

Hurt (16 points, four rebounds) returned from a dislocated finger and hit his first mid-range jumper to excite the Phoenix bench, with Nathan Sobey (16 points, five assists) South East Melbourne’s strongest contributor early, getting downhill and finish strongly through contact, six consecutive points the highlight.

After limited minutes in the double-OT game against Melbourne United last week, Derrick Walton Jr (14 points, six assists) was back to his best, finding the bottom of the net and his teammates with passes Magic Johnson himself would be envious of.

A rapid and stunning inboard pass to Joe Wieskamp caught everyone off-guard, and reminded everyone what the NBL23 Larry Sengstock Medal winner is capable of when running the floor. 

Swish dish from DWalt ➡️ Wiesy!

💻 Live on Kayo pic.twitter.com/uQF3h8eyoF

— South East Melbourne Phoenix (@SEMelbPhoenix) September 8, 2024

The Phoenix took a cautious approach on the American guard, opting to sit him for the entire second half with another two games to play in the Gold Coast.

The Phoenix’s aggressive approach was clear, moving the ball quickly and trying to push the pace, 19 assists showing the new-look roster’s connectivity despite limited court time together.

On the defensive end, incredible blocks by Sobey and Jordan Hunter and a drawn charge by Angus Glover showed desperation, with the coaches ecstatic reactions showing the respect they put on stops. 

Six of Illawarra’s players passed double-digit contributions, with the Phoenix no doubt looking to limit that in their remaining two Blitz fixtures.

The Phoenix now have a two day break before taking on the Sydney Kings on Wednesday Night.

FULL TIME STATS

Sobey: 16PTS | 2REBS | 5ASTS | 1STL | 1BLK 
Hurt: 16PTS | 4REBS 
Walton Jr: 14PTS | 4REBS | 6ASTS 
Wieskamp: 9PTS | 1REBS | 1ASTS | 2STLS | 1BLK 
Hunter: 8PTS | 6REBS | 2ASTS | 1BLK 
Foxwell: 6PTS | 5REBS | 2ASTS | 1BLK 
Glover: 6PTS | 4REBS | 1ASTS | 1STLS 
Kenyon: 5PTS | 2REBS 
Vodanovich: 5PTS | 3REBS | 1AST 
Lewis: 5PTS | 3REBS | 1AST 
Ayre: 3PTS | 1REBS