This coach claimed his team was treated differently. He’s under investigation for the third time this season

Basketball Australia is investigating coach Justin Tatum’s claims that NBL match officials don’t care about Illawarra players following their management of an injury in game three of the championship series.

Tatum unleashed after the Hawks fell 83-77 to Melbourne United in Wollongong on Sunday, leaving his team needing to win game four on Wednesday to keep their title hopes alive.

Illawarra’s Trey Kell lies injured on the court on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images

Illawarra’s hopes of clinching game three took a heavy hit when star import Trey Kell slipped over and injured his knee on the attack as the final two minutes approached.

As Kell hobbled up the tunnel, United guard Matthew Dellavedova shot free throws up the other end of the court from the site of the injury. It was that timing that infuriated Tatum.

“We’re the only person that cares,” Tatum said.

“We wanted to make sure he was OK, off the court before other teams attempt free throws or do anything else. We just wanted to make sure our player was OK.”

Tatum was particularly frustrated given the match officials had stopped the game when Dellavedova slipped over late in the third quarter.

The whistle was immediately blown after Dellavedova landed on his tailbone and play stopped for about a minute as match-day staff cleaned sweat from the court.

Referee Chris Reid could be heard on broadcast microphones telling a confused Tatum that the game had stopped for “player safety”.

Dellavedova was able to play on.

Tatum claimed it was “blatantly obvious” that match officials treated the Hawks differently from their opposition.

“They stopped the whole game and almost had a holiday to make sure he (Dellavedova) was OK,” Tatum said.

“But unfortunately when Trey Kell and somebody on my team gets hurt, we can’t look out after them or we can’t make sure they’re off the court (before play resumes).

“At the end of the day, that’s just the difference of respect between Melbourne and the Hawks.

Illawarra coach Justin Tatum.Credit: Getty Images

“The NBL did a good job of making sure they put the right people on there to take care of who they need to take care of.”

It’s been confirmed that Basketball Australia’s Risk and Integrity Unit is looking into the comments, as BA has responsibility for policing post-match incidents.Tatum was fined $3000 by BA earlier this season for post-match comments that implied he was more likely to receive technical fouls than other coaches.

Melbourne United’s Jack White puts pressure on Illawarra’s Trey Kell in Sunday’s game before Kell left the match injured.Credit: Getty Images

The NBL also investigated Tatum for a mid-game comment that suggested referee Vaughan Mayberry was biased against his “kind”.

Tatum was not sanctioned for that incident from the recent play-off series against South East Melbourne.

The Illawarra coach felt it was a lost cause trying to raise his concerns with the NBL.

“Who cares? Talking to them is irrelevant,” he said. “Whoever they send to officiate the game, whoever they send to commentate the game, we don’t care. We just care about the Hawks.”

The Hawks are unsure whether they will have to play game four without Kell, who was selected in the All-NBL First Team for a brilliant individual season.

“Hopefully everything comes back positive and he feels comfortable enough to play, but if not, it’s a next-man up mentality,” Tatum said.

United one win from title

Melbourne United are one win away from NBL glory after an “unbelievable” Matthew Dellavedova inspired a 83-77 defeat of Illawarra in game three of the championship series.

Without his back-court partner Shea Ili (concussion), NBA champion Dellavedova (16 points, 11 assists, 0 turnovers) guided United back from 10 points down in a tense fourth quarter in Wollongong.

“With Shea out, he put a lot on his shoulders straight away. Any time that he has that extra load he’s always excelled,” United coach Dean Vickerman said.

“It was unbelievable some of the things he did tonight.”

Matthew Dellavedova inspired Melbourne United’s win.Credit: Getty Images

Melbourne now move back to their home court John Cain Arena in an attempt to seal a seventh NBL title, and second under Vickerman.

“The season’s not over,” said Hawks coach Justin Tatum.

“We got them at their place (in game two), just like they got us at our place twice. The first person who wins at home wins the series, so see you in Melbourne.”

Illawarra entered the fourth period on a 14-0 run inspired by import Darius Days (11 points, four rebounds) and looked primed to ride momentum to a series lead before a vocal crowd.

Dellavedova takes instruction from Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman.Credit: Getty Images

But with Dellavedova marshalling the perimeter in Ili’s absence, United kept the NBL’s best offensive team to only 10 fourth-quarter points.

The guard had missed his first five shots from the field but well and truly had his eye in when it counted at the death.

When Dellavedova landed a fadeaway shot with four minutes to play, United were back ahead, and edged further in front when he passed Kell for a lay-up in the paint.

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