Illawarra Hawks push through injuries woes to force thriller game five NBL decider
The Illawarra Hawks will have another shot at claiming the NBL Championship Series title after claiming a heroic victory over Melbourne United to force a fifth-game decider.
Justin Tatum's men were not willing to let go of their chance at the series title with ease, defeating United 80-71 in a thriller at John Cain Arena.
The road to victory was not a simple task for the Hawks as they took to the court without star point guard Trey Kell before losing Sam Froling to injury.
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Froling, co-captain of the All-NBL Team, was forced out of the action just one minute into the second quarter following a tight contest for the ball in the key.
The 25-year-old limped towards the bench before heading into the sheds with a suspected ruptured achilles.
"As an athlete, everyone knows that (injury) is something that is very hard," teammate Will Hickey said post-match.
"I wish nothing but the best for Will. We are with him and are going to get this done for him."
Sam Froling and Trey Kell look on from the bench. Getty
Despite his absence, the Hawks rallied through to deliver what commentator Jack Heverin labelled "one of the most remarkable wins in franchise history".
The injury concern comes at an awkward time considering the title decider will be held in Wollongong on Sunday.
Lachlan Olbrich found 13 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Darris Day finished finished with 11 rebounds and nine points.
But it was Hickey who showed he has what it takes to fill the role of his missing teammates, recording 22 points, eight assists, three steals and five rebounds.
"Honestly, we had to dig deep," Hickey said of the victory post-match.
William Hickey dribbles the ball against Matthew Dellavedova. Getty
"I know that we are the best bounce-back team in the league. In knowing that, it sort of settles your nerves a little bit.
"Coming into the game I was nervous but when you have the calibre of players that we have on our team ... it makes your job a bit easier.
"We understood - and so did Sam - that we had to lock in. As long as we all locked in we knew that we were the better team.
"They are a great team so (the final) will be a different kind of locked in ... it's going to be a good one."
Matthew Dellavedova was the star for United as he assisted his team to narrow the margin at the end of each quarter.
But his efforts were not enough to break his rivals' power, with the 34-year-old one of two players for the Melbourne-based club to score over 10 points alongside Ian Clark.
