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Adelaide 36ers vs Illawarra Hawks |
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|---|---|---|
2016/17 NBL semi-finals, Game 1, 16 February 2017 |
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| Titanium Security Arena, Adelaide, SA | ||
| Adelaide 36ers | Illawarra Hawks | |
| 93 | SCORE | 78 |
| 24 | Q1 | 27 |
| 28 | Q2 | 15 |
| 21 | Q3 | 23 |
| 20 | Q4 | 13 |
The Adelaide 36ers have won a highly entertaining first match of their semi-final series against the Illawarra Hawks at home by 15 points, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Adelaide 36ers 93
Illawarra Hawks 78
The NBL playoffs have finally arrived and it couldn’t be a more exciting match-up to get things underway between the league’s two highest scoring teams as minor premiers the Adelaide 36ers the Illawarra Hawks. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of Game 1 from 7:30pm (AEDT).
These two sides, at least during the second half of the season, always seem to put on exciting matches and none more so than when the Hawks wrapped up the season series 2-1 with a 95-92 victory in Round 17.
Newly-crowned MVP Jerome Randle lit the fuse during the week, having a crack at the Hawks. “I just don’t like them. I don’t like the way they play Basketball, I don’t like anything about none of the guys on the team. I’m just being honest,” said Randle.
While both sides have pushed it under the carpet since, the minor premiers, who at one point had won 14 from 15 games through the second half of the season to wrap it all up with weeks to spare, have hit the speed humps coming to the finals.
Four straight losses to end the regular season was far from ideal for Adelaide, but the signs their form was returning were there in the last round even though it was a double-header loss to Cairns.
They should have won the first match away from home quite comfortably, but ended up resting their starts during the fourth quarter to lose, before blowing a lead at home, but again it couldn’t be justified where momentum was at.
Jerome Randle has been the key man for the Adelaide-based club this season and he will need to lead the offence here, but the way coach Joey Wright has brought the whole team together has been exciting to watch.
The Hawks, like the 36ers, have come from the depths of the NBL table at the halfway point of the season to qualify for the final and are probably disappointed they didn’t lock down a home spot in the playoffs.
In the end, season series worked against them to drop them to fourth and into what should be an exciting series. A loss against Melbourne United in Round 17 probably cost them the home court advantage, and it’s games like that one which will worry them.
Their defence was paper-thin during that game and it’s something they must work on here, given whichever team defends better is likely to win.
Rotnei Clarke will be the Hawks’ key man, going up against Randle in a battle of two of the best guards in the competition.
Prediction
The 36ers are under the pump here, having lost four straight to the finals, but on home court and with Randle due for a big game they should pick up the series lead.
36ers by 5.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Game 1 from 7:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde