Roar Guru
In an exciting game, the Illawarra Hawks pulled off the win in a double overtime victory over the resilient New Zealand Breakers.
Corey Webster lost the game for the Breakers, shooting some 3 pointers which really didn’t need to be forced, he clearly wanted to be the hero when some quick thinking was needed.
Kevin Lisch finished with 40 points for the Hawks while Cody Ellis chipped in 18 off the bench including the 3 that would send the game to overtime. Despite being fouled out, Andrew Ogilvy ended the game with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
New Zealand were unlucky to not be closer at the end of the game but as already mentioned lacked the clutch gene necessary for a game like this. Webster finished on 22 points on 28% shooting. Charles Jackson was a standout performer with 11 points and an outrageous 18 rebounds.
Final score
New Zealand Breakers 96
Illawarra Hawks 103
The New Zealand Breakers are out for redemption against the Illawarra Hawks in the last game of the NBL Heritage Round at the Vector Centre. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 3:00pm (AEDT).
The Hawks are coming off a comfortable 87-69 victory over the Breakers on Thursday night, once again lead by Kevin Lisch and Kirk Penney.
Lisch flirted with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds, but it was Penney who stole the show, scoring 28 points – including 5 three-pointers from only ten attempts.
In the past three games, Penney has made 14 of his 23 attempted threes, good for 61 per cent from deep.
The Breakers meanwhile will be relying on league-leading scorer Corey Webster, who has been averaging 24.4 points over the past five games, including a huge 38-point effort against the Sydney Kings in Round 12.
They also need Cedric Jackson to continue attacking the basket and drawing fouls, as he ranks fourth in total free throws attempted this season. This will be key to which team wins, with Andrew Ogilvy and Oscar Forman both inside the top six for total fouls this season. If the Breakers can take Ogilvy out of the game, they take away one of the most dangerous pick-and-roll combinations in the NBL.
Last time out, the Hawks’ bench outscored the Breakers’ 26-14, with Rhys Martin contributing 13 points. While Ogilvy had an uncharacteristically low-scoring game, it was a well-rounded team performance by the Hawks, who had four players score in double figures.
The Breakers have only lost two games at the Vector Centre this season, but if Penney and Lisch continue their scoring form, the Hawks could be the third team to win across the Tasman.
Prediction
Andrew Ogilvy will return to his normal production and, while they won’t win comfortably, the Hawks will be victors at the Vector.
Will the Breakers cause an upset to end NBL Heritage Round or will the Hawks prove too strong? Join The Roar from 3pm (AEDT) for scores and debate in our live blog.