NBL: Brisbane Bullets halt slide and down Illawarra Hawks

Lamar Patterson’s Antipodean adventure hit full steam as he steered Brisbane to a 104-85 win against Illawarra.

Brisbane’s Cameron Bairstow takes on the Hawks defence at Brisbane Convention Centre. Picture: Getty Images

Lamar Patterson’s Antipodean adventure hit full steam as he steered Brisbane to a 104-85 NBL win against Illawarra at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

Although Patterson initially grabbed headlines after the US import was caught with a dog in his carry-on luggage en route to Australia, the attention he earned against the Hawks was all about his sweet shooting and creativity.

Patterson’s fifth game in the league was everything that his NBA pedigree promised.

Where previously there were glimpses of his class, the former Atlanta Hawk turned in a performance of real substance with 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

For Brisbane the result was a relieving boost to a season resting on five wins and six losses. The Hawks left Brisbane with their seventh defeat from 10 games. No Hawk managed a consistent contribution but Brian Conklin’s 16 points and five rebounds reflected his involvement under the post.

For two teams battling for relevance in pursuit of a top-four spot, the quality of offence was surprisingly high.

Both sides shot at 60 per cent accuracy or better from the floor during the first quarter and the confidence of Brisbane’s passing was stunning.

The Bullets looked comfortable and led by as much as 13 points early on. But for all that fluency they could not do better than a 55-53 advantage at halftime.

Up stepped guard Jason Cadee who scored eight of his 15 points in the third term to help take the game away from the Hawks.

AAP