Melbourne United booked their place in the NBL25 Grand Final series with a Game 3 win against the Perth Wildcats on Tuesday night, and now it’s time to see who joins them out of the Illawarra Hawks and the South East Melbourne Phoenix. The pair are tied at 1-1 in their semi-final series ahead of their deciding Game 3 on Wednesday night, and we have a full preview and best bet for the clash below!
Season record: 94-66 +32.6 Units
NBL25 Semi-Finals Preview & Betting Tips
Illawarra Hawks vs South East Melbourne Phoenix (Game 3)
Wednesday 7:30pm AEDT (March 5), WIN Entertainment Centre
The Illawarra Hawks and South East Melbourne Phoenix are set for a massive Game 3 showdown at the WIN Entertainment Centre, with a spot in the Grand Final on the line. Both teams have defended home court so far, with the Hawks taking Game 1 in Wollongong 101-94, before the Phoenix hit back with the exact same scoreline in Melbourne. Now, it all comes down to this—win and you’re through, lose and the season is over. With everything to play for, expect a fierce battle in front of what should be a packed and loud Hawks crowd.
The Phoenix showed plenty of fight in Game 2, overturning a two-point deficit heading into the final quarter to keep their season alive. Matt Hurt was huge, dropping 30 points on 11-19 shooting after a quiet Game 1 where he had just 10 points. Nathan Sobey was just as important, finishing with 25 points and stepping up in big moments late in the game. While that win gives the Phoenix plenty of confidence, their road form has been shaky all season—they finished 4th overall but won just six of 15 away games. That makes this Game 3 challenge even tougher, as they’ll need to handle the Hawks’ home-court pressure and put in a near-perfect performance to get the job done.
The Hawks will be frustrated with how Game 2 played out, especially with Tyler Harvey and Trey Kell struggling to make an impact. After combining for 48 points in Game 1, they managed just 16 points on 23 shots last game, which wasn’t enough to get over the line. One bright spot was Will Hickey, who had 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists in just 20 minutes off the bench. The Hawks will be relieved to be back at home, where they went 10-4 in the regular season—the best home record in the league. With a loud Wollongong crowd behind them, they’ll be looking to get back to the level that saw them finish on top of the ladder at 20-9.
So far in these semi-finals, home teams have won every game across both series, and that trend could well continue here. The Hawks have been strong at home all season, and with everything on the line, they should have the edge. If their key scorers fire, expect Illawarra to take care of business and book their spot in the Grand Final.
Hawks -4.5
$1.85 (2.5 Units)
