Bang, The ‘Gong: Hawks get it on

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Home cookin': the Illawarra Hawks ate twice together on Friday.

The first was a "good team meal", and the second course was the now 2-2 Adelaide 36ers, as the Hawks devoured the road team 114-92 at the WIN Entertainment Centre for their first win of NBL27.

"Being on the road for the first three games, undermanned here and there, unfortunately having injuries come through, our guys stayed together," Hawks head coach Justin Tatum said.

"They had a really good team meal today; just happy to be back home. When they got on the court, you could see everybody had a different vibe about themselves.

"Yeah, being at home definitely helped."

It took a couple of minutes for the Hawks (1-3) to get going, but once they did, it was shades of NBL25 as they chomped the undermanned 36ers, blew out the first quarter 35-21, and ordered dessert in the second to take a 30-point lead (65-35) into halftime.

Illawarra import Kelan Martin ($277,000) knocked down multiple pull-up threes in transition, finishing with 28 points on 10-for-14 (5-for-7 triples); Sam Froling ($228,200) carved up the 36ers' frontline for 19 points and 13 boards; Tyler Harvey ($271,700) splashed 3-for-6 from deep; William Hickey ($331,600) came off the bench for the second straight game and Swiss Army-knifed his way to 12 points, five rebounds and seven assists.

"I think that sixth man today really motivated the guys to play well and just keep pushing through," Tatum said.

"Outside of my guys playing well and unselfishly, yes, it was very good to get a win today."

After three straight road games and three straight losses, Froling was happy to be home and to finally get the first win.

"A bit of the monkey off the back," Froling said.

"It felt like we carried a bit of emotion from last year, working out with the additions into the team how that flows. Tough job for these guys.

"It felt like tonight we were on the front foot from the get-go, defensively and offensively, and that flowed into the game. The game plan was sharp. I thought we had a really good week of practice, and it showed out there.

"I think that's what we want to be: the Hawks for NBL27."

Adelaide 36ers head coach Trevor Gleeson, a five-time NBL champion, was "disappointed" a lot as he sat at the podium after the game.

"Really disappointed," Gleeson said.

"I just didn't like how we didn't fight hard enough. It looked like a men's team playing against a kids' team out there.

"Really disappointed in the brand that we put out there. I was proud of the bench that played the last five minutes. They played their hearts out.

"But really disappointed in how we played that first half, especially."

Gleeson is without three starters, Isaac Humphries ($265,300), Flynn Cameron ($241,700) and Bul Kuol ($156,100), but he did have six-time MVP Bryce Cotton ($473,900) and his three imports: Zylan Cheatham ($339,500), Nick Rakocevic ($188,400) and John Jenkins ($152,100). He started NBL1 Central stars Jacob Rigoni ($69,000) and Keanu Rasmussen ($69,000).

"It's just the professionalism that we've got to get up," Gleeson added.

"Obviously, we've got some (let me phrase this right) we've got some guys out, and guys have got to step up.

"I'm not using that ever as an excuse, but the guys stepping up have got to step up, OK? You can't just say, 'OK, I'll get a chance to start now'.

"It's more than that. It's the movement without the ball. It's the effort crashing the glass.

"It's picking up defence, putting ball pressure. I thought we did that in the second half. Certainly didn't do it in the first half."

Tatum's scout on Cotton (15 points) was outstanding, and his players executed to limit the superstar's touches in the first half and forced him to give it up out of pick-and-rolls or coming off staggers.

"Their main guy didn't play well, and I know they're missing a couple of guys as well," Tatum said.

"We were able to do a really good job on Bryce, making everything difficult for him.

"When he doesn't really play well, or play to the standards he normally does every night, any team can struggle if their star guy's not going.

"I tip my hat to DG (Dan Grida), Johny (Narkle), Wani (Swaka Lo Buluk), Milt (Doyle), guys who had an opportunity to guard Bryce and make it difficult for him. We understand what it took to win."

Eleven of Cotton's 15 came from the free-throw line (11-for-11), and he had just four field goal attempts in 30 minutes.

"They obviously gave Bryce a lot of attention," Gleeson said.

"That's nothing new. But our other guys are just standing there, and then when they get the ball, they're shooting threes straight away.

"We've got to be a better team to create great shots for each other. We can't just say, 'OK, Bryce is denied. I'm open. I'm shooting the three'.

"That might work when you've got a whole bunch of shooters on other teams, but this team doesn't.

"So we weren't very smart offensively.

"I know Bryce got fouled three times on the three-point line, but to have him not have a three-point attempt and only have four shots, that's not good enough as a team and not good enough for me."

What you need to know

• Illawarra Hawks beat Adelaide 36ers 114-92 at WIN Entertainment Centre in NBL27 Round 3, their first win of the season.
• Illawarra won the first quarter 35-21 and the second 30-14, and led by 32 early in the third before Adelaide won the last two quarters, 32-27 and 25-22.
• Kelan Martin ($277,000) top-scored with 28 points on 10-from-14, including 5-from-7 from three, and Bryce Cotton ($473,900) led Adelaide with 15, making all 11 of his free throws.
• The game turned at the three-point line. Illawarra made 15 of 31 from deep and Adelaide nine of 38, including one from 13 in the second quarter.
• Illawarra assisted on 33 of their 45 baskets and shot 54 percent from the field to Adelaide's 42 percent.

Illawarra Hawks

• Kelan Martin ($277,000) top-scored with 28 points on 10-from-14, including 5-from-7 from three, and was plus-19 in 30 minutes.
• Sam Froling ($228,200) had 19 points and 13 rebounds, four of them offensive, on 9-from-15 and was a game-high plus-25.
• Milton Doyle ($274,700) added 13 points and seven assists on 5-from-13, including 3-from-6 from three.
• William Hickey ($331,600) scored 12 off the bench with seven assists and two steals on 5-from-8 in 20 minutes.
• Tyler Harvey ($271,700) had 11 points and seven assists on 4-from-9, including 3-from-6 from three, and was plus-21.
• Lamar Patterson ($210,900) scored eight off the bench on 3-from-4 in 14 minutes.
• Wani Swaka Lo Buluk ($145,200) had seven points on 3-from-9 and was plus-17 in 24 minutes.
• Illawarra shot 45-from-83 from the field, 15-from-31 from three and 9-from-11 at the line, with 49 rebounds, 33 assists and 10 turnovers.

Adelaide 36ers

• Bryce Cotton ($473,900) scored 15 points with seven assists, going 2-from-4 from the field and 11-from-11 at the line.
• John Jenkins ($152,100) scored 13 off the bench on 5-from-12, including 3-from-8 from three.
• Deonte Williams ($58,500) added 12 off the bench in 13 minutes on 5-from-10.
• Keanu Rasmussen ($69,000) had 11 points on 4-from-9 and was the only Adelaide starter to finish plus, at plus-5.
• Zylan Cheatham ($339,500) scored 11 with three rebounds, three assists and two steals on 3-from-7, going 5-from-6 at the line.
• Jacob Rigoni ($69,000) had nine points and five assists, all three of his baskets coming from three on 3-from-10.
• Nick Rakocevic ($188,400) had six points, 11 rebounds and five assists on 3-from-8.
• Adelaide shot 31-from-74 from the field, 9-from-38 from three and 21-from-25 at the line, with 35 rebounds, 27 assists and eight turnovers.