NBL Round 20 2025: Illawarra Hawks send finals warning with victory over Sydney Kings
Sydney Kings could be without one of their biggest stars in a must-win final after a late moment of madness in their loss to Illawarra Hawks. See the latest NBL news.
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Star playmaker Jaylen Adams is in danger of missing Sydney’s National Basketball League elimination play-in game after being ejected in the final minutes of their 95-75 loss to Illawarra at a sold-out WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong on Friday night.
In a typically fiery encounter between the arch rival clubs, the former league MVP poked Illawarra’s Wani Swaka Lo Buluk in the face after they became tangled up under the basket with less than four minutes remaining and the Hawks leading 83-71.
The play was reviewed, Adams incurred a disqualifying foul, and he was sent to the locker-room.
Jaylen Adams has been ejected from the game after this incident with Wani Swaka Lo Buluk.
— NBL (@NBL) February 7, 2025
Watch live on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/XvUFXKFfNO
The fifth-placed Kings now face an anxious wait to see if the NBL takes any further action before their sudden-death showdown against likely opponents Adelaide next week.
It was a frustrating night for Adams and the Kings, who were also without Xavier Cooks. The former NBL MVP sat out the game for personal reasons, his only absence all season, and the Kings hope he is back on court for their play-in elimnator.
HOW SWEET IT IS
Illawarra iced the sweetest season of their 47-year NBL history in front of their adoring fans with a 20-point blow-out of their fiercest rivals.
It was the Hawks’ sixth straight win against the Kings, after losing the previous eight straight, and marked their first 4-0 season sweep of Sydney since the 2015-16 season.
The Hawks had already secured top spot on the ladder with their 96-82 victory over New Zealand on Wednesday night but were still determined to finish the regular season on a high against their big-city big brothers.
Even without injured stars Trey Kell III (hip/groin) and Darius Days (hamstring), the Hawks had too many weapons for the Kings to deal with.
Sharp-shooters Tyler Harvey and Hyunjung Lee led Illawarra’s scoring with 15 points each, and were well supported by Davo Hickey and big men Sam Froling and Lachlan Olbrich (12 apiece).
The Hawks will now enjoy a 21-day break before hosting their best-of-three game semi-final series on February 28. The game against the Kings was Illawarra’s seventh sell-out this season.
BRIGHT START, BAD FINISH
The Kings started with energy and poise and built an early 18-13 advantage, capped by Cam Oliver’s one-handed slam, but the Hawks responded with a 14-3 run for a 29-24 lead at quarter-time.
Illawarra extended their lead to 40-29 midway through the second period, as Sydney stars Oliver (three) and Jaylen Adams (two) headed to the bench with foul trouble.
Adding injury to insult, Tyler Robertson went to the locker-room clutching his ribs after a mid-layup collision with Illawarra’s Mason Peatling, though Robertson returned to complete the half.
The Hawks cleared out to a 44-31 edge before Kouat Noi and Makuach Maluach led a 7-0 Kings run but Illawarra steadied and went to half-time enjoying a 50-39 lead.
Sydney cut the deficit to 65-61 by three-quarter time as both teams strugged to hit the target but the Hawks opened the final term on a 9-0 run to stretch the margin to 74-61 and were always in control down the stretch.
King Kouat
Koaut Noi’s claims on the Sixth Man and Defensive Player of the Year awards seem undeniable after another stand-out performance for the Kings.
In the absence of Cooks, who missed the game for personal reasons, and foul trouble to imports Oliver and Adams, Noi filled the scoring breach with an equal team-high 14 points.
TAIPANS STAR ENDS BULLETS SEASON WITH TRIPLE-DOUBLE
— Jake Garland
An inspired Taran Armstrong has claimed his first NBL triple-double as the Taipans closed the curtain on the Brisbane Bullets finals chances with a 12 point win at Cairns Convention Centre.
Armstrong finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists as Cairns claimed a 100-88 point win in the clubs final home game of the season.
The Bullets had to win to keep their slim finals hopes alive and early in the third quarter they opened the door and hit the lead for the first time in the game.
But it was a late third quarter combination of Armstrong and Sam Waardenburg (23 points, seven rebounds) that pulled the lead back in the Taipans way as the duo combined for 16 of the 25 points.
Armstrong and Waardenburg remain uncontracted with one game left of the season.
Despite what looked like a serious knee injury in the second quarter, Bullets forward Casey Prather (19 points and five rebounds) with Keandre Cook (28 points and seven rebounds) led the way for Brisbane.
The Taipans will now head to Tasmania to take on the Jackjumpers as the reigning premiers look to keep their finals chance alive.
While Brisbane will now look to the off season and build their roster to return to finals next season.
BULLETS INJURY SCARE
A scare went through the Brisbane Bullets camp with powerful import Casey Prather going down midway through the second quarter.
Prather went to assist his teammate by helping him up and slipped causing his right knee to buckle underneath him.
The 33-year-old went straight to the hands of the physio but soon returned to the court despite still looking in some distress.
Taipans’ Pedro Bradshaw slipped on the same area as he went to put up two points just seconds before.
Prather isn’t contracted for the NBL next season with the forward in demand from a number of teams.
ARMSTRONG, WAARDENBURG SPECIAL
Cairns’ two biggest leaders Taran Armstrong and Sam Waardenburg put on an absolute clinic in the third quarter as the two shared buckets.
Armstrong continually found Waardenburg, including the highlight of the third with an alley-oop midway through the quarter.
The Bullets grabbed the lead early in the quarter, for the first time of the game but Armstrong lifted with Waardenburg following his skippers lead as the Taipans turned a five-point deficit into a seven point lead through the third.
WORTH HIS MONEY
Taran Armstrong may have had a season that has been plagued by injury but his final performance in front of the Cairns crowd which included his first ever NBL triple-double will make the point guard in hot demand for next season.
Taipans coach said earlier in the season that he was fending off calls from NBA clubs and he showed why he is deserving of one.
The 23-year-old finished with 28 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds leading his side to a 12 point victory as he commanded the ball and led the plays throughout the night.
All eyes will be on the Tasmanian to see where he goes during the off season and where he will end up next season.
Originally published as NBL Round 20 2025: Illawarra Hawks send finals warning with victory over Sydney Kings
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