Illawarra Hawks v Cairns Taipans
Saturday, December 6, 8pm AEDT
WIN Entertainment Centre
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Talking points
Another must-win game
Sparked by an incredible 42 points by QJ Peterson, the Hawks secured a huge win over South East Melbourne on Wednesday night.
That game was a must-win, as is Saturday’s showdown with the Snakes, if the Hawks want to keep their finals chances alive.
Another win in quick succession and all of the sudden, Illawarra are knocking on the door of the top six.
Who can replace Jack?
For the large majority of the NBL26 season, Jack McVeigh has played a lone hand on offence for Cairns. Now, the Taipans have copped a massive blow with their marquee man out of the squad as he awaits the birth of his child.
Sam Waardenburg (ankle) and sharpshooter Reyne Smith (foot) will remain out, which makes the task even tougher against a star-studded Hawks lineup.
This is a chance of the likes of Mojave King and Andrew Andrews, who have both had their moments this season, to stand up and show their offensive potency.
What they’re saying
Hawks coach Justin Tatum on how big Wednesday’s win was for his team:
“The W for us is huge. Losing three games in a row going to the [FIBA] Break, in this league, we could not lose this one.
“I felt if we lost this one, it’s too big a hole to come out of statistically, realistically.
“So we really focused on winning this game today. It was not kind of how we planned on winning it, but I’m really proud of how my team fought through it and how we started the game.
“We understand there are a lot of things that we need to clean up, but at the end of the day, the gutsy win is huge for my team.”
Cairns coach Adam Forde on how beneficial the FIBA Break was for his side:
“[Key focus over the FIBA Break was to] rest and repair the bodies. Jack McVeigh for example was averaging 37 minutes [since his return from wrist injury]. We had some guys carrying nagging complaints. With a limited rotation there were a lot of guys that needed this rest.
“[Hawks] are on a positive momentum swing at the moment. They are always tough to play on their home court. JaVale McGee is always a handful. We’re expecting a very balanced and productive offense.”
Missing in action
Illawarra
Jonah Bolden – Achilles – Season
Sam Froling – Achilles – TBC
Cairns
Alex Higgins-Titsha – Wrist – Season
Reyne Smith – Foot – Round 15
Sam Waardenburg – Ankle – Round 12
Jack McVeigh – Personal reasons – Round 12
>> View full injury list
