'Glove fits': Angus' eight threes punishes champs

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The defending champions are wounded and the rest of the NBL is circling.

Illawarra's title defense is on full title, 1-4 after five games to start the season, waking up this morning after a 40-point beat down — 116-76 — by the South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena in Round 5 of NBL26.

"South East did a really good job bouncing back from Thursday — their effort levels were great," Tatum said post game.

"We wanted to match that; we understood they’d come out ready to play better than they did a couple of days ago.

"Unfortunately, we didn’t match their intensity."

The Hawks once high-octane offense and overwhelming defense is in transition. All-NBL First Team guard Trey Kell III is in Japan, size and toughness Lachlan Olbrich is in the National Basketball Association, centre Sam Froling is out injured, spark William "Davo" Hickey has an eye injury, yet to play a game this season and import JaQuori McLaughlin released.

"We walk away very disappointed," Tyler Harvey said.

"The coaching staff prepared us well — they told us everything South East was going to do — and as players, it’s our job to perform. We didn’t do that tonight.

"We didn’t give the coaching staff a chance to coach because we were down 28 in the third quarter.

"A lot of that falls on me. I’ve got to prepare us better.

"This league is tough — if you come out lax, you’re going to get your butt kicked.

"Thankfully, it’s still early, but we’ve got to find a way so that our lows aren’t so low. If your low is an eight-point deficit, you can recover. If it’s 23, you can’t.

"We haven’t found that equilibrium yet as a team. It’s a low point for us right now, but that means the only way is up."

One bright spot is three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee, who finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.

"But it’s not just about him — it’s all of us," Harvey added.

"Against Brisbane, everyone got their shots, everyone found rhythm. We don’t want to be a team that’s great one game and then flat the next.

"It’s not JaVale, it’s not me — it’s all of us. We’ve got to figure out how to get guys their shots and find consistency. Right now it’s tough, but we’ll get there."

The game was all but over by half-time as the Phoenix led 66-40. South East Melbourne won all four quarters with the lead bludgeoning to as many as 47 points.

Angus Glover was on fire from deep, going 8-from-12 threes on his way to a game-high 26 points. The Phoenix are now 3-2 and right in the top four mix.

Key Details

• Result: South East Melbourne Phoenix 116 def. Illawarra Hawks 76
• When: 18th October 2025
• Where: John Cain Arena, Melbourne
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Angus Glover (South East Melbourne Phoenix) starred with 26 points, two rebounds, one steal, and one block in 20 minutes.
• JaVale McGee (Illawarra Hawks) scored 22 points, and had 11 rebounds, one assist, and five blocks in 23 minutes.

What Happened

South East Melbourne Phoenix established their dominance early, outscoring Illawarra 30-23 in the opening quarter before extending their lead with a stellar 36-17 second period. The Phoenix maintained control throughout the second half, securing a commanding 40-point victory with a 33-24 fourth-quarter surge.

The Phoenix set the tone with a 16-0 run midway through the second quarter, extending their lead to 54-35 with three minutes remaining before halftime. Glover was instrumental during this stretch, connecting on three consecutive three-pointers to break the game open.

Nathan Sobey delivered a captain's performance with 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, and four steals in 25 minutes. His aggression earned him seven free throw attempts, converting six. However, it was Glover's extraordinary shooting display off the bench that stole the show, as he connected on eight-from-12 from beyond the arc in just 20 minutes of court time.

The Phoenix's offensive efficiency proved the difference, shooting 43.7 percent from the field (38-from-87) and an outstanding 40 percent from three-point range (18-from-45). Their ball movement generated 22 assists compared to Illawarra's nine, while defensively they forced 25 Hawks turnovers resulting in 11 steals.

For Illawarra, JaVale McGee provided the lone bright spot with 22 points and 11 rebounds, including five blocks in 23 minutes. However, the Hawks struggled mightily from beyond the arc, connecting on just six-from-21 attempts (28.6 percent) and committed 25 turnovers that severely hampered their offensive rhythm.

The Phoenix's bench outscored Illawarra's reserves 61-33, with Glover's 26 points leading all bench scorers. Hunter Maldonado added 13 points and nine assists in 22 minutes as part of the Phoenix's balanced attack that saw six players score eight or more points.

South East Melbourne's interior presence was equally impressive, outscoring Illawarra 40-34 in the paint despite the Hawks holding a slight 47-44 rebounding edge. The Phoenix capitalised on Illawarra's mistakes, converting 25 turnovers into 32 points while only surrendering seven points off their own seven turnovers.

The victory solidifies South East Melbourne's strong start to the season, while Illawarra will need to address their ball security issues and offensive execution to bounce back from this dismal performance.