In a gut-wrenching finish, the Illawarra Hawks have fallen to the South East Melbourne Phoenix 124-113 in overtime during their NBL clash on Thursday night.
Phoenix Captain Soars in Clutch Performance
The contest was ultimately decided by the brilliance of Phoenix captain Nathan Sobey, who poured in an equal career-high 37 points, alongside six rebounds and four assists. Sobey was instrumental in the extra period, silencing the Hawks with a crucial dunk to seal his team's 16th win of the season.
He was ably supported by former Hawk Angus Glover, who tormented his old club with 22 points, including five three-pointers. It was Glover's big triple that gave the Phoenix a 106-104 lead late, before Hawks import QJ Peterson hit a two-pointer with just 2.6 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Hawks Show Fight in Defeat
Despite the loss, which drops their record to 8-14, the defending champions produced one of their better performances of NBL26. The Hawks were led by Sam Froling and QJ Peterson, who each scored 22 points. Froling was particularly dominant, adding nine rebounds and two assists while shooting perfectly from the field in the first half.
JaVale McGee contributed 17 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while Tyler Harvey (17 points, four assists) hit a milestone, draining his 500th career three-pointer. Mason Peatling added 15 points and five rebounds off the bench.
Costly Turnovers Prove Decisive
While Illawarra shot efficiently at 51% from the field, their night was undone by 19 turnovers, compared to just six from the Phoenix. This disparity allowed South East Melbourne to attempt 99 field goals to Illawarra's 80, a gap the Hawks couldn't overcome.
The Phoenix started overtime on a 9-0 run, from which the Hawks couldn't recover. The game was a fiery affair, marking the second consecutive meeting between the two sides to require an extra period.
The Hawks will look to regroup from this narrow defeat as they continue their push for an NBL finals berth.
