Behind Tyler Harvey s masterclass, the Illawarra Hawks snapped a three-game losing skid and kept their NBL finals hopes alive after grinding past the New Zealand Breakers 75-67 at the Silverdome in Launceston.
Star point guard Harvey (29 points, seven steals) enjoyed a blinding first half on Monday night, single-handedly keeping the fifth-placed Hawks in the contest before restamping his authority in a lopsided fourth quarter.
Thanks to Harvey s brilliance and some stifling team defence, Illawarra completely blanketed NZ 23-4 either side of three-quarter-time to transform a 49-55 deficit into a match-winning 72-59 advantage.
Tyler Harvey of the Hawks shoots the ball against the Breakers.
Finn Delany (23 points, three three-pointers) was a constant inside-outside threat and the man chiefly responsible for the Breakers’ commanding 46-34 second half. Captain Tom Abercrombie wound back the clock with 19 points in his 354th game, equalling Mika Vukona s club record. We came with the right mentality and speed and we shared the ball collectively, Breakers coach Dan Shamir said.
Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
Finn Delany notched 23 points, including three three-pointers, and was a constant inside-outside threat for the Breakers. Twenty-one assists is the way we should play and it should happen more often. Sixers skipper Daniel Johnson scored 20 points while Giddey overcame a scare when he slipped on a decal early in the third quarter to post 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
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