R7 Preview: Phoenix v Hawks

Opponent: Illawarra Hawks

When: Sunday Feb 28 - 2:00pm AEDT

Where: John Cain Arena

Tickets: CLICK HERE

Broadcast: SBS Viceland, SBS On Demand, Twitch, NBL TV

Live Updates: @SEMelbPhoenix on Twitter

South East Melbourne Phoenix and the Illawarra Hawks go head-to-head on Sunday at John Cain Arena in a battle of two NBL21 finals contenders.

The 5-5 Phoenix are waiting on the return of multiple injured troops and the arrival of Ryan Broekhoff, while the Hawks enter the contest third on the NBL ladder.

The two met at the State Basketball Centre in Round Four when the Phoenix ran away with an impressive 16-point victory.

The Hawks are yet to defeat the Phoenix in the four clashes between the two clubs.

SQUAD

Keifer Sykes (ankle) will miss the game.

Adam Gibson (calf) and Dane Pineau (back) remain out.

Ryan Broekhoff (hotel quarantine) will also miss.

SIMON MITCHELL SPEAKING AHEAD OF ROUND SEVEN:

“I think there’s been some really good signs of what we can become and I think there’s also been some reminders of where we’ve come from and what we can be if we don’t do the right things at all times.

“I feel like our upside is really big. There’s still quite a gap between our best and worst basketball, so I guess that’s for us to figure out ways to bring those closer together.

“There’s a bit of a pattern with us; when we play physically on the defensive end, boxing out and taking care of the defensive boards, there is a tendency for us to play close to our best basketball.”

PLAYER TO WATCH

Cam Gliddon has caught fire over the Phoenix’s last two games, averaging 18.5 points and 4.5 triples per game.

The shooting guard also starred in his side’s Round 4 win over the Hawks, hitting five triples in the third quarter to spark the win.

OPPOSITION REPORT

Illawarra sit third on the NBL ladder with a 6-4 record.

Tyler Harvey (21.4ppg) ranks fourth in the league in scoring and is a threat from all spots on the floor. The crafty left hander can drain the long ball and has a dangerous floater.

His backcourt partner, Golden State Warriors draftee Justinian Jessup, is just as deadly from range and forms a potent duo with Harvey.

The Hawks possesses great depth in their lineup, with Justin Simon, Cam Bairstow, Sam Froling and Deng Adel all capable of big performances.

“We’ve got to make sure we do a good job like we did last time of limiting some of their key players and we’ve found a few things maybe they struggle with from a defensive standpoint that we feel we can exploit on the offensive end,” Phoenix Coach Simon Mitchell said.

“It’s really just finding these little cracks and making sure we seal a few of our own cracks.”

HISTORY VS. OPPOSITION

Head-to-Head Record:

Phoenix 4 Hawks 0

NBL21:

Phoenix def Hawks 98-82

NBL20:

Phoenix def Hawks 106-102

Phoenix def Hawks 112-102

Phoenix def Hawks 90-82

Sam Bunn for Phoenix Media (27/02/2021)