Hawks complete season sweep of Kings

The Illawarra Hawks have completed their best ever NBL regular season by sweeping the Sydney Kings having already wrapped up top spot before Friday night's dominant 95-75 home win.

The Hawks might have been locked into top spot no matter the result at the WIN Entertainment Centre, but there was no shortage of feeling between the NSW rivals including a late blow up with Jaylen Adams ejected for the Kings.

Adams appeared to poke Wani Swaka Lo Buluk in the eye with four minutes to go earning him a disqualifying foul to end his night on 14 points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Hawks were already leading by 12 and cruised to the 20-point victory to wrap up a fourth win of the regular season over the Kings to finish at 20-9 with Sydney stuck fifth.

The Hawks had secured a first regular season championship by winning in New Zealand on Wednesday, and despite playing without import pair Darius Days and Trey Kell III, their energy and depth was once again on show.

Sydney were missing former MVP Xavier Cooks for personal reasons, but a win could still see them move up from fifth and earn a double chance to make the playoffs.

The Hawks, though, were in control throughout the first half and their 50-39 lead was on the back of outworking and outrunning the Kings.

Illawarra went into the locker room with five more rebounds, four more offensive boards and then with 16 fast break points to two with the Kings struggling to go with them.

Adams did have a brief third quarter flurry, but the Hawks scored the first nine points of the fourth.

Once Adams was ejected, Illawarra romped to the 20-point win to end at 20-9.

It was a dominant showing with 19 offensive rebounds, 20 points from turnovers, 23 fast break points and 48 points to 30 in the paint.

Tyler Harvey and Hyunjung Lee both scored 15 points with Sam Froling adding 12 points and 11 rebounds. Lachlan Olbrich (12 points) and Davo Hickey (12, eight assists, eight rebounds) also impressed.

Hawks coach Justin Tatum was proud of the statement his team made to close the regular season.

"We could have laid down today, we could have just sat there and took a break and let Sydney do what they need to do," he said.

"But it wasn’t about that. We wanted to make sure that we came out here and played out, and I think we played better than our best.

"I was really happy with a quick turnaround how we came out and gave great effort, so what's most exciting is how we played today."

It was a tough night for Sydney who finish now at 16-13 to stay fifth and to host the Adelaide 36ers in a cut-throat play-in game on Tuesday night.

They shot just 36 per cent from the field and had 14 turnovers with Kouat Noi finishing with 14 points, Alex Toohey 12 (nine rebounds), Makuach Maluach 12 and Cam Oliver 11 (five rebounds).

Kings coach Brian Goorjian conceded that they couldn’t go with the regular season champions.

"We stayed in the game for three (quarters) but am just eating humble pie right now having been slapped around the face three straight times," he said.

"We are in the playoffs and we've got a game on Wednesday so let's see where it takes us but it was a hard one to swallow tonight."

Despite a couple of early Illawarra three-pointers to Mason Peatling and Tyler Harvey, it was a good start from Sydney with triples of their own to Alex Toohey and Tyler Robertson before they went on an 8-0 scoring run.

That had the visitors leading 16-11 but the Hawks worked their way on top and triples to Daniel Grida and Hyunjung Lee along with Harvey and Sam Froling combining for 15 points saw them on top 29-24 after one.

Illawarra then opened the second quarter strongly with the opening five points including Todd Blanchfield making a technical called on Shaun Bruce on quarter-time after he got into it with Harvey.

The Hawks maintained control the rest of the first half to go into the break leading 50-39 on the back of a late three ball to Lee with the home team on top thanks to seven points off turnovers, 16 fast break points and holding Jaylen Adams to three points on three shots for Sydney.

Adams sparked Sydney to start the second half with five quick points but the Hawks had pushed out to a nine-point lead again thanks to an and-one from Grida and then another three ball from Lee.

However, the Kings stayed in touch and a triple from Bruce on three quarter-time had them just four points down heading into the fourth.

It was then all the Hawks to start the final period with the home team putting the game to bed with the first nine points including three balls to Peatling and Lee.

Wani Swaka Lo Buluk knocked down a three ball with four minutes to go on Illawarra's 17th offensive rebounds which pushed the lead for the Hawks out to 12 and they ended up winning by 20 to wrap up the regular season in style.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

ILLAWARRA HAWKS 95 (Harvey 15, Lee 15, Olbrich 12, Hickey 12, Froling 12)

SYDNEY KINGS 75 (Noi 14, Adams 14, Maluach 12, Toohey 12)

BOX SCORE