DrinkWise Preview: NBL25 - Championship Series Game 1 v Illawarra Hawks

IT’S CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES TIME, WHICH MEANS IT’S TIME WE UNITE!

We head on the road for Game 1 of our best-of-five matchup with the Illawarra Hawks inside the WIN Entertainment Centre from 8pm on Saturday evening.

Fresh off an electrifying Game 3 victory over Perth, we look to use this momentum to take out the Hawks on the home court; something we’ve already done once this season.

For Illawarra, a big win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix has their supporters buzzing ahead of Saturday night.

WHO’S HOT, WHO’S NOT

(Past five games)
United - W, W, W, L, W

Hawks - W, W, W, L, W

Looking at how we got past the Wildcats and into the Championship Series, our offensive performances were among the best in the NBL’s modern 40-minute era.

Across the three games, we cashed in on 15.3 three-point makes per game (1st all-time in the modern 40-minute era record) and 23.7 assists per game (2nd all-time in the modern 40-minute era record). 

All-time, we hold a 29-1 record when making at least 15 three-point makes in a game, and this season we hold a 14-3 record when tallying 23 or more assists.

On the other side, Illawarra's success can be directly linked to their effort on the glass.

The Hawks have won 14 of 16 games where they held opponents to under 40 rebounds, including both their wins against the Phoenix in their Playoff Series.

STARS COLLIDE

With both teams capable of breaking the game open from beyond the arc, a matchup to watch will come when two of the most prolific shooters in the league clash.

Coming out of the Perth series, Chris Goulding is on a shooting streak unlike anything the league has ever seen.

Goulding enters the Championship series leading all players in points per game (28.7) and three-pointers per game (7.3) in the Finals. His 22 three-pointers also are the most ever made in a single postseason series in NBL history, surpassing his own mark of 20 that he set last season.

Harvey on the other hand has struggled to find his stroke at times, shooting just 32.6% from the field and 33.3% from long range.

His best performance came in Game 1, where he finished with 24 points and three steals.

GAME INFO

Who: Melbourne United vs Illawarra Hawks

Tip-off: 8pm AEDT, Saturday 8 March, 2025

Where: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

Watch: ESPN