Double trouble: Doyle's buzzer-beater proves Harvey's got company

For six seasons now, Tyler Harvey has been the man the Illawarra Hawks turn to when the game's on the line.

But if Thursday night's game proved anything, it's that Harvey might finally have some company in the pressure moments.

Trailing by two with nine seconds on the clock in their CODE Sports NBL Blitz opener against the Adelaide 36ers, the Hawks didn't turn to Harvey. Instead, Milton Doyle shouldered the responsibility.

Calm and collected, he drilled the three to give Illawarra the early win. It's only pre-season, of course, but judging by the players' reactions at the final buzzer, this one clearly meant something.

And for coach Justin Tatum, it was early proof of exactly why he wanted Doyle in Hawks colours.

“I needed someone who can also be able to create the shot outside of Tyler,” the championship coach said of his new signing.

“Milt ticked all those boxes, and I know the type of player he is … you know, he came from Tasmania, won a championship with them. He did really solid last year at Melbourne.

“I said, ‘Man, I think there's still a lot more I can get out of you, Milton.’”

Doyle finished with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in his Hawks debut, in a preview of what could be ahead for the Hungry Jack's NBL27 Season.

“You should see practice. I don't know who's going to take the last shot,” Tatum chuckled, reflecting on Harvey and Doyle's partnership.

“And you seen Kelan [Martin] got a chance to start getting light, you know, his hands acclimated with the game as well, and his shotmaking ability. Then still Davo [Hickey] is coming to you like a kamikaze downhill and being able to create for other guys themselves.

“It's good to be able to have options that really trust the other person and still trying to find a way to learn amongst each other.”

Tatum looked back on a disappointing NBL26 campaign, one where patchy availability and inconsistent form cost Illawarra a finals berth just a season after being crowned champions.

“Year by year is going to be different … you just can't expect, you know, a championship season every year, because you can have injuries, inconsistencies, you know, not really gelling well on the court together,” he said.

“It could be all types of things, and I think we kind of hit every one of those. And even myself, I came in late, you know, from the beginning of the season and didn't have the real pre-season like we did this year. So it was all those things put together.”

The Hawks have leaned back on some familiar faces in their pursuit of further success. Sam Froling is fully fit and firing, while Darius Days returns from that championship winning squad.

Beyond Martin and Doyle, Thursday night's line up carried a real sense of continuity with that history making group from two seasons ago.

One game in, with plenty still ahead, could this be a redemption year for Tatum and the Hawks?