Hooyah & Harden Up (Championship Series - Game 3)

Author disclaimer: To all the players, coaches and administrators, the following opinions are mine and mine alone. It’s ALWAYS business – and NEVER personal. So, if I name you, shame you, offend you or slap you on the back and put your name up in lights, just accept it for what it is and move on.

By Damon Lowery.

Game 3: Melbourne United 83 def Illawarra Hawks 77 (United lead series 2-1)
Game 4: Wednesday night, John Cain Arena at 7:30pm AEDT, live on ESPN, 10 BOLD and 10Play

DOUBLE HOOYAH ALERT:

HOOYAH – Jack White, that was resilience personified. To go from not attempting a shot in Game 2 and copping heavy criticism, to bouncing back in glorious fashion with 20 points. Inspiring stuff.

HOOYAH – Double-doubles by guards are rare. Matthew Dellavedova, you put on a free clinic. 16 points, 11 assists and NO turnovers – it’s never been done in NBL Championship Series history.

HARDEN UP – 3 points and 4 rebounds in 17 minutes … Rob Loe, that’s ordinary for a man of your veteran status and talent.

WHAT WENT RIGHT – You held the high-octane Hawks to a 10-point last quarter and kept them to only 8 free throw attempts.

WHAT WENT WRONG – In the 3rd quarter, you blew an early lead and allowed the Hawks to go on 14-0 run on their way to 25 points for the quarter.

IF I WAS COACHING:
1 – Have the team watch the Mel Gibson speech in Braveheart, and ask them, “What would you give for one shot at a Championship?”
2 - Then watch the Al Pacino speech from Any Given Sunday: “Life is a game of inches, and we fight for every inch, because when we add up all those inches, it’s the difference between winning and losing.”
3 – Tell the admin team not to book any flights to NSW, because we ain’t going. It all ends here in Melbourne on Wednesday night.

HOOYAH – Darius Days, in the last two minutes of the third you scored 7 points to help the Hawks to a 7-point lead.

DOUBLE HARDEN UP ALERT:

HARDEN UP - First Team All-NBL member Tyler Harvey, you had another low scoring output with 7 points on 3/11 FG, missing all 7 three-point attempts. In two home games, you’re averaging 8 points on 7/21 FG.

HARDEN UP – Second Team All-NBL member Sam Froling, you simply have to be better than 8 points and 2 rebounds in 22 minutes. Now is the time Sam, or there’ll be no Sunday.

WHAT WENT RIGHT – You had 34 points off the bench and a great third quarter, scoring 25 points to hold a lead that stretched to 10 halfway through the fourth quarter.

WHAT WENT WRONG – You could only muster 8 free throws and scored just 10 points in the fourth. You’ve now lost six last quarters in a row.

IF I WAS COACHING:
1 – Play Sam Froling more than 22 minutes.
2 – Pay extra close physical attention to Matthew Dellavedova because he’s way too comfortable out there.
3 – Have Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never” blasting out of the stadium speakers at training.