Melbourne United star Goulding's hot hand lands Hawks blow in quest for NBL playoffs

The damage had already been done.

Goulding had earlier produced a phenomenal shooting display to shut the Illawarra Hawks out of the contest.

The 102-87 loss meant the Hawks have conceded any advantage over arch-rivals Sydney on the NBL ladder, both teams battling for fourth with a 15-15 record.

The Hawks had bolted from the blocks to establish an early 13-5 lead, but it only sparked Goulding into action, who hit four first-term three-pointers to change the momentum and put the competition leaders ahead 28-27 at quarter-time.

The onslaught only continued in the second, as Goulding sank seven from 10 on his way to 25 points at half-time, his final tally, Jock Landale chipping in with three of his own from range to establish a 53-42 advantage at the break.

"All of us starters got our arse kicked a little bit," Goulding told ESPN at half-time. "(We) responded well, moving the ball really well, playing good defence."

Read more: Gerald Beale prepared for Dragons crash course after arriving in Wollongong

As the margin ballooned into the 20s, Landale finished with a personal tally of 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

In reply, Deng Deng was the standout for the Hawks with 15 points, eight rebounds and four steals, while Sam Froling had 10 points and seven board and Justinian Jessup finished with 11 points.

The Hawks now travel to Adelaide to play the 36ers on Friday night, while United meet Brisbane on Monday.

We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.