Hawks are 'Froling' ... crush Bullets by 34

• Brisbane decimated by injuries, suffer 34-point loss to Hawks
• Illawarra dishes 37 assists, a 40-minute record
• In-form Hawks centre Sam Froling has 17-7

Illawarra Hawks soared to a 121-87 (Game Centre) victory against a depleted Brisbane Bullets squad on Monday, January 20, 2025 at WIN Entertainment Centre in round 17 of NBL25.

The 34-point drubbing further solidified the Hawks' grip on the top spot in the league, as they showcased their offensive prowess with a blistering shooting performance and a record-breaking assist tally.

The Hawks wasted no time asserting their authority, racing to a 17-point lead in the first quarter on the back of a 12-2 run. Tyler Harvey, the Hawks' sharpshooter, punctuated the period with a trademark buzzer-beater, giving Illawarra a commanding 35-20 advantage. Despite a spirited 15-2 run by the Bullets early in the second quarter that narrowed the gap to just four points, the Hawks quickly regained control, entering halftime with a 56-41 lead.

In the second half, Illawarra shift into another gear entirely. The Hawks poured in another 35 points in the third quarter alone, stretching their lead to 31  by the end of the period. The onslaught continued in the final frame, with the Hawks' advantage ballooning to as much as 42 points before settling on the final 34-point margin.

The statistics tell the tale of the Hawks' offensive clinic. Illawarra shot an impressive 62% from the field and dished out a 40-minute record of 37 assists. This unselfish play was epitomised by Trey Kell III, who notched 11 assists to go along with six rebounds, despite scoring only a handful of points himself.

Hawks centre Sam Froling emerged as the standout performer for the Hawks, leading all scorers with 17 points while also grabbing seven rebounds. The balanced attack had five Hawks players score in double figures, with Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (16 points), Mason Peatling (15 points, seven rebounds), Lachlan Olbrich (14 points, 6 rebounds), and Hyunjung Lee (12 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) all making significant contributions.

"A sense of urgency was one thing we wanted to play with," Hawks coach Justin Tatum said.

"I was really satisfied with how our bench played and how we were able to attack the paint."

For the Bullets, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, made all the more difficult by the absence of several key players. Superstar Casey Prather was a late out because of an ankle injury, joining Tyrell Harrison, Rocco Zikarsky, and Deng Adel on the sidelines.

Keandre Cook led the Bullets with 19 points and nine rebounds, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep pace with the high-flying Hawks.

The victory improves Illawarra's record to an impressive 17-8, further cementing their position atop the league standings.

The Hawks will look to maintain their momentum as they travel to face the Cairns Taipans on Thursday, January 23 (Game Centre) for their NBL Summer Shootout clash.

Meanwhile, the Bullets, now sitting at 10-15, face an uphill battle to secure a top-six finish.

They'll need to regroup quickly as they head to New Zealand for a crucial matchup against the Breakers (Game Centre) on Friday, January 24, 2025 in what has become a must-win game for their playoff aspirations.