25

Dec

5 min read

Illawarra's clutch Trey's trey wins it on the road

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basketball.com.au

Illawarra's clutch Trey's trey wins it on the road
Illawarra's clutch Trey's trey wins it on the road

Illawarra Hawks win top-of-the-table clash against Kings by 3

  • Hawks Trey Kell III and Tyler Harvey combine for 48 points
  • Kings' NBL Next Star Alex Toohey has career high 25 points
  • Illawarra confirm title credentials

Dynamic backcourt duo Trey Kell III and Tyler Harvey staked Illawarra's championship credentials with a grind-it-out road win against the Sydney Kings 111-108 Christmas Day clash (Game Centre) at Qudos Bank Arena on December 25, 2024.

Kell III and Harvey combined for 48 points, orchestrating a 25-point swing from the second quarter into the start of the 4th before the Kings staged another late run to almost tie it up at the buzzer. Kings swingman Kouat Noi missed a contested three off a sideline out-of-bounds player at the buzzer to send it to overtime.

The Kings led by 10 midway through the second quarter and had all the momentum on the back of NBL Next Stars Alex Toohey's start, worthy of his status as one of the best young players in the league.

Colour commentator Brad Rosen said: "We won't see him next year, he'll be in the NBA."

Trey Kell III of the Hawks lets fly from three during the round 13 NBL match between Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks at Qudos Bank Arena, on December 25, 2024, in Sydney. Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Toohey had 20 points and the Kings up by nine but head coach Brian Goorjian — almost inexplicably — took out the 20-year-old with the score 48-39 with 4:38 left to play in the second. Illawarra went on a 19-10 run to tie it up at 58-58 on a big-time Kell III three at the half-time buzzer.

Former NBL champion Derek Rucker and Sydney Kings captain Rosen, both in commentary, were perplexed why Goorjian decided to take out Toohey when he was cooking. It changed the complexion of the game for good.

Post game Goorjian said the decision was based on "match-ups and fatigue".

"We had a concern, and we did the last game, you've got J-Kell and Tyler Harvey and you take one of those guys off the floor that we took off and now you've got Toohey guarding Tyler Harvey or you've got Toohey guarding J-Kell and a lot of times we had them under control in the second quarter and then he got going.

"And we're looking around, and we've got to get him (Toohey) off because he needs a rest."

Toohey ended playing close to 33 minutes.

"I constantly say to (assistant coach) Billy (Tomlinson), 'I don't want tired bodies on the floor' because we've cut our rotations down and I thought X gets fatigued and he fouls, so we get him off the floor and I think Toohey is a 25, 26-minute man in this and when you look at it (the box score), I thought we rode him into the ground," Goorjian added.

"And then, what the announcers talk about is never the defensive end of the floor and the match-up on those two guards without Bul Kuol (injured), now we got Xav and JA carrying the ball and he's exhausted, so who do you put on that one and who do you put on that one and that was the concern all night.

"So sometimes the subs were along that line."

The Hawks pushed the lead to as many as 14 with 6:17 left in the fourth quarter before the Kings, playing in from of more than 8,000 fans, made a frenetic run on the back of multiple tough defensive stops and clutch shooting. Sydney went on a 13-0 run to get within 105-104 on Keli Leaupepe's and-1 at the rim.

But Kell III made a pair of free throws and a dagger three, King Xavier Cooks made a lay-up to cut the lead to 111-108 and Sydney forced a shot clock violation to give themselves a chance but Noi missed the three at the buzzer.

Illawarra moved to 12-5 while Sydney 11-8 and out of the automatic playoffs spot.

NBL Next Star Alex Toohey of the Kings attacks the rim against Tyler Harvey of the Hawks during the round 13 NBL match between Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks at Qudos Bank Arena, on December 25, 2024, in Sydney. Photo: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Goorjian, although, disappointed extracted some positives but identified where the Kings need to get better.

"(It showed) we can through punches with the best but the concerns, we've talked about it before, we're just missing a piece in the backcourt," he said.

"I like what (guard) Shaun Bruce does but if you look at the teams in this, there's one more. Getting Jaylen off the ball, getting him some rest, that has become a concern."

Toohey finished with a career high 25 on 8-from-17 from the field, four rebounds, three steals and a block.

The Kings seemed poised for a statement win on their home court, racing out to an early 31-23 lead after the first quarter behind the offensive output of Toohey, Angus Glover and Jaylen Adams. Sydney's offence was clicking on all cylinders, with crisp ball movement leading to open looks and easy buckets in transition.

However, the Hawks refused to go away quietly. Illawarra chipped away at the deficit throughout the second and third quarters. Harvey, in particular, caught fire from beyond the arc, draining four three-pointers en route to a 22-point performance.

The fourth quarter saw multiple lead changes as both teams traded baskets in a tense back-and-forth affair. With just under a minute remaining and the Kings clinging to a one-point lead, Harvey delivered the dagger — a deep three-pointer that put the Hawks up for good. Despite a frantic final possession for Sydney, Illawarra's defence held firm to secure the upset victory.

Sam Froling of the Hawks lays the ball up against Xavier Cooks during the round 13 NBL match between Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks at Qudos Bank Arena, on December 25, 2024, in Sydney. Photo: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

The statistics tell the story of a closely contested battle. While Sydney won the rebounding battle 52-49. The Hawks connected on 14-from-42 attempts from three-point range (33%), compared to just 11-from-32 (34%) for the Kings. The Hawks bench outscored Sydney's reserves 36-31, providing crucial depth down the stretch.

Kell III stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. The American import showcased his all-around game, consistently breaking down Sydney's defence and creating opportunities for his teammates.

Looking ahead, both teams face pivotal matchups that will continue to shape the playoff picture. The Hawks will look to build on this momentum as they go on the road to the 9-8 Brisbane Bullets (Game Centre) on Friday, December 27, 2024 while the Kings face a tough road test against the 7-10 Adelaide 36ers (Game Centre) on Monday, December 30, 2024.

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