BASKETBALL
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He hasn't been his usual reliable self from three-point range this season, but Wollongong captain Oscar Forman proved he is still one of the best in the business in Sunday's 75-73 road win over Sydney.
Forman hit 5/8 threes in the comeback victory, including two in the final minute when the pressure was on.
"I get quite surprised sometimes at how open I get towards the end, and I think that's the defence getting a bit nervous, and the credit of that goes to our guards," Forman said.
"Down the stretch with that middle pick and roll, we have Rhys [Martin], Gary [Ervin] and Jahii [Carson] making good decisions with the ball in their hands in the fourth quarter. It is a bit of a waiting game, but they'll hold onto it for that extra second so my man will leave."
Ervin, Carson and Martin each dished out six assists against the Kings.
Wollongong had 11 turnovers in the first half and cut that to five in the second.
"A lot of our turnovers were aggressive turnovers in the sense we were being proactive and trying to push it in transition," Forman said.
"It wasn't like we were stuck in the half-court and fumbling it. We were trying to make something happen."
Their game plan revolved largely around their guards.
"Coming into the game, we wanted them to be aggressive," coach Gordie McLeod said.
"We wanted them to get on the rim and don't just settle for the pull-up jumper. If we can get on the rim and get some easy buckets it also brings in the kick-out and extra pass. Our guards have good quickness and can penetrate, and we try and put them in a position to do that."
Wollongong's sixth victory of the season ensures they will not finish with the worst win-loss percentage in club history.
Forman said the Hawks were determined to wrap up a bad season on a good note in this weekend's final-round games against Townsville (away) and Adelaide (home).
"It's just about staying with the daily grind, because from day one we've always had the goal of coming to training every day and trying to get better," he said.
"It's obviously a disappointing season. We let a lot of games slip and things weren't great for us at the start. But we've got a better understanding of what we're expected to do and what we need to do, and even at this late stage of the season we stay focused on getting better."