How to watch & talking points: Adelaide v Illawarra

Sunday, November 2, 2025

adelaide 36ers

illawarra hawks

Sparks will fly in Adelaide, when two MVP contenders, Bryce Cotton and JaVale McGee, go head-to-head.

Adelaide 36ers v Illawarra Hawks
Sunday, November 2, 4.30pm AEDT
Adelaide Entertainment Centre

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Talking points

No firepower problem here
‍Bryce Cotton clapped back at Damon Lowery during the week, following comments that the 36ers didn’t have enough firepower to win a championship.

The 36ers now welcome a Hawks team who has started to play some good basketball and would love nothing more than to silence the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in this one.‍

McGee for MVP?
JaVale McGee has been nothing short of incredible since arriving in Illawarra and his numbers reflect that.

In any other season, without the likes of Bryce Cotton doing what he is doing, McGee would have a strong case for early MVP honours.

However, unfortunately for him, the Hawks slow start has cost him in that race right now too … for now.

What they're saying

36ers forward Zylan Cheatham on learning from their tight defeat to United:
"It comes down to those little small plays that add up, and that's kind of what we're trying to focus on, is cleaning up those little mistakes and not making mistakes going forward.

“Obviously, that's a really good team at the top of the table, but we got our own work cut out.

"I've said it before, I don't think we've even scratched the surface. I think we're still making little mistakes that really good teams don't make.

"We're still getting chemistry with our guys and figuring out our offence and defence and stuff, so I think we still got a lot of work to do.”

Hawks coach Justin Tatum after Friday's loss to New Zealand:
"It's a great thing that we play in less than 48 hours for sure, I can't sit on a loss like this for a week.

"I'm sure with the professional guys we have that they will give a major effort on Sunday and hopefully we can turn the momentum around.

"We just have to have a short-term memory and that's what I told the guys in there, and we will talk about it and discuss it, and do some film things on the road, but your memory has to be short.

"It's going to be really tough in Adelaide with them sitting for a week waiting and we'll be their first opponent coming in this round."