Even Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth could not help but enjoy the Illawarra Hawks hit top gear and hand the reigning champions the biggest loss of their short NBL history: a 109-76 mauling in Wollongong
The JackJumpers were already in the midst of a lukewarm start to their championship defence but will be in for some serious soul-searching after finding themselves out-enthused on both ends of the floor on Saturday.
Six Hawks reached double-digits for scoring - big man Sam Froling leading the way with 21 points - as Illawarra punished the JackJumpers for their slow start.
"It was just an old-fashioned butt-whooping," Roth said.
"The energy and effort they played with, we didn't come close to even matching that, before you can even get into the actual basketball aspects.
"It was actually very fun to watch, to be honest. I thought they were fantastic."
Tasmania have lost four of their five first quarters this season, the past three by a combined total of 82-47, and never recovered after falling victim to the same habit again on Saturday.
The Hawks went into quarter-time up 32-17 and maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.
Hyunjung Lee hit a three-pointer in the dying seconds to stretch the margin to 33 points and eclipse a 32-point loss to New Zealand in October 2022 as the biggest of the JackJumpers' four NBL seasons.
Roth kept the loss in perspective, pointing out the JackJumpers had a 11-11 record late in their championship-winning 2023/24 season.
"This is game five. We've got about 25 more to go, or whatever's left," he said.
"We're a work in progress and we have to continue to work and not drop our heads."
Hawks coach Justin Tatum felt it was time the NBL public gave his side the respect they deserved after the big win improved their record to 4-1.
"We're the highest-scoring team in the league, we have one of the deepest teams in the league," he said.
"There should be some respect factor there and we're playing well right now.
"We're happy with where we're at, and we know we can get it 10 times better."
Hawks defensive guru Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (eight points, three rebounds) neutralised Tasmania's attacking weapon Milton Doyle, who managed two points from one-of-five shooting in the first three quarters.
Doyle turned the ball over a staggering seven times, with the JackJumpers giving the rock up on 18 occasions in total.
Pocket-rocket guard Jordon Crawford (19 points) was the only consistent attacking threat for the visitors as Froling had the better of his match-up with star Jackies big man Will Magnay (11 points, four rebounds).
Hawks guard Tyler Harvey (19 points, five assists) made four from eight attempts at three and helped set the tone early with his trademark shooting from deep.
Illawarra's high-energy approach to the game suited second-unit Hawks Will Hickey (15 points, eight rebounds) and Dan Grida (two offensive rebounds).
Journeyman guard Hickey pulled down seven offensive boards, almost as many as the entire JackJumpers team (10).
Grida epitomised the Hawks' effort-first approach to the contest when he went head-first over an advertising banner attempting to keep the ball in play on the attack in the first quarter.
"That's what DG does, he'll run through a wall. We just want to make sure that he recovers from running through the wall," Tatum said.
