From 42-Point Loss to Heartbreak: Hawks Show Resilience in Defeat to Adelaide
Heartbreak struck the Illawarra Hawks after a narrow 90-88 defeat by the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday afternoon. Following their equal-lowest score in franchise history, Illawarra delivered perhaps its strongest performance of NBL26.
With just 1.6 seconds remaining, Will "Davo" Hickey had two free throws to tie the game but missed both attempts. Despite this, Hickey stood out with a team-high 20 points, along with nine rebounds, eight assists, and four blocked shots. He fell just one rebound and two assists short of becoming only the second Indigenous player to achieve a triple-double.
Illawarra had not won in Adelaide for the past four years. Head coach Justin Tatum expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, especially coming only 48 hours after a heavy 102-60 loss to the New Zealand Breakers in Wollongong.
"I tip my hat off to my team for coming back and having so much resilience and fighting them today. They gave a great effort on both ends of the floor, just a little bit unlucky," Tatum said.
Tatum added, "If my team plays like this every game from now on with a full, healthy roster, we can beat anybody."
Game Highlights
- Close final score: Adelaide 90, Illawarra 88
- Hickey narrowly misses a triple-double
- Strong team effort following an earlier large defeat
- Coach praises resilience and effort
Player Spotlight: Will "Davo" Hickey
- 20 points scored
- 9 rebounds
- 8 assists
- 4 blocks
This game demonstrated Illawarra Hawks' significant resilience, showing their potential to compete strongly despite setbacks.
Would you like the summary to be more formal or conversational?