LaMelo Ball's dream of being the No.1 draft pick in the NBA draft edged closer to reality, but the Illawarra Hawks will only have nightmares about being in New Zealand.
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Ball finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, his second straight triple double in the NBL.
But the Hawks lost 91-79, having been blown away in the first quarter yet again.
The Hawks, who haven't replaced NBA veteran Aaron Brooke after he tore his Achilles and were beaten to Illawarra junior Xavier Cooks' signature by bitter rivals Sydney during the week, were down by nine points at the end of the first period.
Big men David Andersen, AJ Ogilvy and Josh Boone worked to stem the damage.
And then Ball sparked the Hawks after half-time, at one point threatening to launch a great escape.
But it fell flat down the stretch, New Zealand stabilising.
The Hawks were smashed 103-72 across the Tasman earlier this season.
This time Sek Henry finished with 25 points, while Finn Delany had 20 points and nine rebounds.
RJ Hampton, who like Ball is part of the NBL's Next Stars program, had 12 points, five rebounds and two assists.
And while Ball was clearly the standout, the Hawks slip to 3-10 for the season - and without a replacement for Brooks - their playoff hopes disappear from view.
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Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
