THE SECOND of Thursday night’s double-header in the National Basketball League (NBL) will see a massive encounter between the Illawarra Hawks and the Adelaide 36ers, with both teams jostling for ladder positioning heading towards finals.

The Sixers will travel to Wollongong to take on the Hawks on Thursday night following the matchup between the New Zealand Breakers and the SEM Phoenix. It is shaping up as a huge clash, and although the home side are underdogs, it is a must-win game for Illawarra, so expect the reigning champions to throw the kitchen sink at the ladder-leaders.

On the other hand, the Sixers are fighting to hold on to top spot come season’s end, and there have been some shaky performances. A win here would get Adelaide back on track and help gather some momentum heading to the pointy end of the fixture.

Illawarra Hawks vs. Adelaide 36ers

WIN Entertainment Centre
Thursday, February 5 @ 7:30pm

The Hawks entered last round as one of the biggest challengers for the sixth and final spot in the postseason, engaged in an enthralling battle with the New Zealand Breakers and the Tasmania JackJumpers, the latter of whom currently occupy the sought-after position.

However, Illawarra suffered two losses at the hands of the Sydney Kings and the Perth Wildcats respectively in what was a tough draw for last year’s champs. Now, tonight’s matchup looms as do-or-die for the Hawks, who will be fighting to keep their season alive against the current ladder-leaders, in what will be a true test of their postseason aspirations.

Some of the more positive news of late for the Hawks was the recent confirmation that Tyler Harvey had become an Australian citizen, and what better way to celebrate than with a win tonight. If they can give him space with screens and allow the guard to get into the lane and knock down his signature floaters, their offence will be all the better for it.

The Sixers have not been in the same form that saw the team from South Australia storm to top spot on the ladder, losing four of their past six games and losing the momentum they were building heading into the offseason in a serious form slump.

They are now in risk of losing first position on the ladder with the South East Melbourne Phoenix and the Sydney Kings in form and hot on their tails. The best answer to these challenges is to get the win tonight, which would put them two games clear of second spot, and allow Adelaide to string together some wins heading into the finals.

Although much of the pressure has been on Bryce Cotton (and he has delivered), the Sixers looked even more dangerous when forward Zylan Cheatham was firing midway through the season. If he can get back to his best, it will give the Sixers a better chance of getting the job done against the Hawks in enemy territory tonight.