With both sides staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start the season, AJ Ogilvy iced the game from the foul-line with a go-ahead free-throw with 1.1 seconds left on the clock.

It was part of a roller coaster night for Ogilvy, who started from the bench and finished with 19 points and six rebounds.

He had eight of them in the fourth quarter but went 0-2 from the line with the scores locked at 88 apiece before making amends with the game-winner in the dying moments.

The Hawks took control of the match with a third-quarter explosion from veteran sharpshooter Tim Coenraad, who made the most of his start in a revamped starting five with all nine of his points coming in a long-range blitz just after halftime.

Todd Blanchfield also chimed in with a triple in a 14-2 run that turned a five-point halftime deficit into a nine-point lead.

They surrendered it again down the stretch but ultimately avoided a disastrous 0-3 start to the year ahead of Saturday's road clash with undefeated South East Melbourne.

After wearing some flak for rotations in the first two matches, coach Matt Flinn ran out a new-look starting five, with Aaron Brooks starting for the first time this season and Josh Boone shifting to centre.

It was short-lived for Boone - who was left nursing a suspected broken nose after copping some friendly fire from Tim Coenraad - but it paid off big for Brooks.

The NBA veteran had 15 of his 19 points in the first half before he was forced to sit with his fourth foul early in the final term.

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The Hawks lost their way in his absence, with three triples from DJ Newbill - who lead all scorers with 26 points - re-taking a two-point lead with just under two minutes remaining.

Brooks returned to bring crucial composure down the stretch, while Blanchfield was also steady from the foul-line and finished with 20 points.

The Hawks are still yet to shrug off their shooting woes, going 8-26 from three-point range but made the ones that counted.

It was tough pill to swallow for the Taipans who are 0-3 after surrendering a halftime lead in all three of their defeats to start the season.

Newbill was the leader with 26 points, while Majock Deng (17 points), Scott Machado (14) and Cameron Oliver (14) were the other Snakes in double digits in a game they controlled for large patches.

They face the tough task of bouncing back against Perth in the west on Friday night, with the Hawks looking to hand the Phoenix their first loss a day later in Melbourne.

Oliver had first points for the visitors from long range and followed it up with a slam. Machado also hit from the perimeter as the Snakes shot out to a 7-2 lead.

Brooks had two from the line and a triple of his own, while Blanchfield grabbed his first three of the season the cut the score back to 10-8.

Brooks kept things ticking over with an assist for Ball and an and-one play to take his side's first lead.

Newbill quickly took it back with the first of two triples for the quarter, while Oliver finished the quarter the way he started with a three and a slam as the visitors led 23-18 at the first break.

Deng and Brooks traded buckets but the Snakes opened up an 11-point gap on the back of consecutive threes from Noi and Deng.

The 10-4 run forced Flinn into a timeout. It had the desired effect, Brooks and Ball grabbing buckets on a 6-2 run that cut the margin back to seven and forced Kelly to call time.

It did little to slow the Hawks, with Blanchfield grabbing another four points as the hosts run extended to 14-2 and a one-point lead at 36-35.

Newbill finally hit back for the Taipans with five points, while a three-point play from Deng a second before the buzzer saw the visitors lead 43-38 at the main break.

The Hawks exploded out of the break, with Coenraad dropping three triples and Blanchfield also chiming in from the perimeter.

It was part of a 16-2 run that turned a five-point deficit into a nine-point lead and forced Kelly to burn an early timeout.

Deng kept his side in it with four from the line, while Oliver also had a couple from the stripe to cut the margin back to five.

The pace slowed as three-quarter-time approached, much of the term playing out from the line, though a late three from Andersen helped the Hawks to a six-point lead at the final break.

The hosts lost their way when Brooks was forced to sit, with Machado grabbing six points before the Snakes re-took a three-point lead on a three-point play from Jawai.

An unlikely shootout developed down the stretch, with Ogilvy answering a three from Newbill with a rare triple of his own. Newbill hit another and then a dagger buzzer-beater for a two-point lead with just under two minutes remaining.

Ogilvy had some nervous moments after missing two attempts at the go-ahead point from the foul-line inside the final minute only for Sunday Dech to produce a crucial steal and give him the chance to atone.

He did, sealing the win with the first of two from the line.