Illawarra was bounced out in the semi-finals for the second successive season after falling 99-87 to the Kings in game two on Sunday. And while Sydney will fight it out for championship glory with league newcomers the JackJumpers in the grand final series, starting this Friday night, the Hawks have been left to lick their wounds.

The result continued the club's two-decade drought since claiming a championship, and Harvey knows it's been a missed opportunity in their past two campaigns.

Last season, Illawarra fired out of the blocks to set up a strong run into the playoffs, where they were beaten by Perth in three games. This time around, they were knocked out in straight sets by the Kings, which has left the star guard "starving" for a shot at the league's title.

"It was burning in me last night, hearing them celebrate in the locker room. It burns, it stings, and it just adds more fuel to my fire. My goal is to win a championship here and that's still the number one thing on my mind," Harvey said.

"We're right there. We had an up and down year, but you saw towards the end, we really got it together and it was fun. I didn't want this experience to end. I felt like this team did something special, but there was more to this team. I look back and it hurts that it all ends so abruptly. I love the team, but it hurts today."

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Sunday's loss was particularly frustrating for Harvey who, despite being among the Hawks' best with 21 points and three assists - was fouled out at a crucial stage in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks continued to fight bravely to cut the deficit to two points with two minutes to play. However, the Kings hit several crucial free throws to claim the 99-87 victory in front of nearly 10,000 fans at Qudos Bank Arena.

"We battled. It was a tough series, Sydney were a good team, but it's still sinking in on my end," Harvey said.

"I think we had two evenly matched teams, I wouldn't say they had more class at the end. I thought we were right there all game, they made a couple of big plays down the stretch, and they took the score over at the end. If you look at both teams, I think it's a toss up on who wins that series. But credit to them, they got it done."

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Harvey plans to take a few days off before he gets right back into practise. The 28-year-old Californian remains happy in Wollongong, having inked a three-year deal with the Hawks last July.

The likes of Sam Froling and Dan Grida will also return next season, having signed long-term contracts with the club, but the make-up of the rest of Illawarra's roster remains unknown. There are also question marks around Brian Goorjian, with the master coach after Sunday's game admitting that he would take some time off to ponder his future.

For Harvey, it's a no-brainer about whether Goorjian should return to the club.

"Everybody is so grateful that Goorj came back this year. Goorj will tell us he's coached for 100 years, and I always say you should coach for 100 more," he said.

"It would be special for him to come back, but it's up to him. And Goorj is the best at what he does, so for us, it was a blessing having him back for a second year. So of course I want Goorj back, but it's up to him."

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