'It is what it is': Super Sobey torches Hawks for 37

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Offensive rebound, kick out to Illawarraian Angus Glover for the three – BANG!

Glover, who is from Illawarra, hit nothing but the bottom to put the South East Melbourne Phoenix in front 106-104 with 4.8 seconds to go.

Phoenix guard Owen Foxwell had saved his missed three to Wes Iwundu who then hit Glover for the clutch long-range bomb on the opposite wing.

Hawks head coach Justin Tatum drew up an outstanding sideline out of bounds play, inbounding to William "Davo" Hickey who hit QJ Peterson coming off a back pick at the top of the key to tie the game at 106 with 2.3 seconds left.

Phoenix head coach Josh King then drew up a play for star guard Nathan Sobey, who inbounded the ball and got it back from John Brown III but his long range three from the top of the key went wide left.

Overtime.

It was a game the defending champion Hawks simply had to have. Their play-in window has tightened even further slipping to 8-14, chasing the Tasmania JackJumpers at 11-13 while the Phoenix's grip on second firmed at 16-7.

Regardless of the result, Tatum's rotations are back to where they were last season. Hickey coming off the bench in favour of childhood mate Biwali Bayles and centre Sam Froling back in the pivot, sharing minutes with JaVale McGee shows their ladder position simply doesn't reflect how good the Hawks could have been.

Phoenix started the overtime on a 5-0 run, leading 111-106 with 3:25 to play and broke the game open on Sobey's steal and layup straight after Foxwell splashed a big-time three ball. A bit more than a minute later it was nine on a dunk by Sobey.

Sobey iced the ball game with an and-1 right at the rim with with 1:13 to go. He missed the free throw but it was simply a bridge too far for Illawarra.

The game threatened to erupt when Bayles fouled Sobey on a drive to the bucket with 39 seconds left. Bayles was given an unsportsmanlike foul and Sobey reacted, appearing to make contact with Bayles. Sobey was given two shots and the Phoenix given the ball back.

Both benches almost cleared but calmer heads prevailed. Tatum was given a technical for getting into with a referee between the first and second free throws.

There was an extraordinary 56 lead changes. Sobey put the exclamation mark on it with a two-handed jam with about 10 seconds to go.

The Phoenix got the job done 124-113 at the State Basketball Centre in the second game of NBL26 Round 16 on the back Sobey's equal career-high 37 points on 13-from-25 from the field.

"They're playing some great basketball, we knew coming in it would be a tough contest," Sobey said.

"The competitiveness is what it's all about. Maybe a few questionable calls down the stretch with that sort of thing with how we were getting hit but it is what is.

"At the end of the day we're just happy to come away with the win."

Tatum was clearly disappointed but: "We stayed in it with one of the top teams in the league for the majority of the game.

"One rebound away from potentially, possibly winning it. You know, so just attention to detail, keep playing at a high-level effort and try to see how it goes."

He also called out the Hawks ball security and not getting the job done on the offensive glass.

"I feel that we can play any type of style with any type of teams," he said.

"We just have to not allow 18 offensive rebounds and turn the ball over 19 times. I think we can score.

"We have a lot of guys who are finishing out there. If they stay in their zone and do what they do well, then, you know, it’s not about us slowing the pace down.

"We want to play up-tempo basketball. The other team does the same thing. We just gotta figure out how to eliminate some of the flaws that caused us to lose this game."

Key Details

• Result: South East Melbourne Phoenix 124 def. Illawarra Hawks 113 (OT)
• When: Wednesday, 8th January 2025
• Where: State Basketball Centre, Melbourne
• Attendance: 3,422
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Nathan Sobey (Phoenix) starred with 37 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals in 34 minutes.
• Sam Froling (Hawks) scored 22 points and had nine rebounds in 35 minutes.

What Happened

The Phoenix established early momentum, taking a 23-25 first-quarter lead before extending their advantage in the second period. They outscored the Hawks 32-25 in the second quarter to head into halftime with a 55-50 buffer. The contest remained tight throughout regulation, with both teams trading baskets in a back-and-forth battle that featured 56 lead changes.

Nathan Sobey was simply outstanding for the Phoenix, shooting an efficient 13-from-25 from the field while connecting on three triples. His ability to score from all areas of the court kept the Phoenix in contention when the Hawks threatened to pull away. Angus Glover provided exceptional support with 22 points on stellar 7-from-11 shooting, including a superb 5-from-9 from downtown.

The Hawks' balanced scoring attack was led by Sam Froling's dominant interior presence. The big man was on fire, converting 10-from-13 field goal attempts while cleaning the glass effectively with nine boards. Quentin Peterson added 22 points off the bench, shooting 50% from the field and connecting on four triples to keep the Hawks competitive throughout the contest.

South East Melbourne's superior shooting from deep proved decisive in the extra period. The Phoenix connected on 13 three-pointers at a solid 29.55% clip, while their overall field goal percentage of 45.92% was sufficient to outlast their opponents. The Hawks shot exceptionally well from beyond the arc at 52.17% but couldn't match the Phoenix's offensive firepower when it mattered most.

The overtime period saw the Phoenix outscore the Hawks 18-7 to secure the 11-point victory. DJ Mitchell's clutch shooting and Owen Foxwell's playmaking ability were instrumental in closing out the contest, with both players contributing significantly to the Phoenix's successful finish.