Illawarra Hawks drop to 2-8 after home loss to Brisbane Bullets

Defensive rating hits 127.1, worst in NBL in 15 years.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h1 min read

With this loss, the Illawarra Hawks fall to 2-8 on the season. They have an #NBL27-worst defensive rating of 127.1; that Via @OlgunUluc on X

What happened: Brisbane withstood a third-quarter Illawarra rally in Wollongong to take the road win, per ESPN Australia and Olgun Uluc. Coach Tatum continued searching for rotation combinations in the defeat, limiting Hickey to roughly two minutes and Martin to about 14 minutes.

Why it matters: The defensive slide compounds early-season pressure on an Illawarra roster already pursuing Derrick Walton Jr. on the import market following the September departure of Darius Days. Through 10 games, the club sits at the bottom of the NBL27 defensive standings.

What to watch: Illawarra's front office continues talks with Walton Jr. as Tatum looks to stabilize the backcourt rotation.

Sources

@OlgunUluc 2026-10-24T08:53:04.672787+00:00

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