Illawarra have thrashed the Brisbane Bullets on their way to their sixth consecutive win in the NBL after a fast start laid the platform for a 108-77 win on the road.
Brisbane (9-16) opted to start with a small-ball line-up with Lamar Patterson at centre and they were punished from the outset as the Hawks (17-8) finished 11/11 from two-point range and had 16 points in the paint for a 17-point quarter time lead.
That ballooned out to 20 before the half as the Hawks registered their highest halftime score of the season at 53 points, as well as their biggest lead of the season with 15 at the break.
Brisbane fixed their defensive issues early in the second half and cut the deficit to 10 but it never reached single digits as Illawarra stormed through the third quarter with a couple of show time dunks to Antonious Cleveland.
The win sees the Hawks reach over 100 points for the fourth time this season, all in regulation, and equal the highest point scoring game with Melbourne United.
Duop Reath top scored with 28 points on 86 per cent shooting, while Tyler Harvey and Cleveland both finished with 18 points each as the Hawks sent Bullets fans home disappointed in their last home game of the season.
"Totally pumped," Hawks coach Brian Goorjian said.
"I was happy at both ends ... the match-up on Patterson, the match-up on (Jason) Cadee we saw is huge.
"To hit hold Patterson to three points, to hold Cadee to three points, that virtually puts them in a situation where they're not going to win
"The guys did a really good job there."
Brisbane coach James Duncan mixed his line-ups late to get younger players more action, but said the contest was like groundhog day for his side.
"The message that we've been putting forth throughout the whole season, obviously our group hasn't been able to take that message and execute that message to be better in that situation," he said.
"Defensive teams get into the playoffs and and they're consistent, they invest in that and so when you're investing in that you reap the rewards.
"Those teams are reaping the rewards, and we have not done that."
