Hawks see off game Phoenix in the absence of star import Justin Robinson

Robinson withdrew from the clash on Wednesday after picking up a knee injury in his side's first-up loss to Sydney, with Friday set to reveal a firmer diagnosis of the knock that kept him out of the Hawks first win; though there are concerns for more than just the trip west.

"He's going to a specialist [on Friday] to find out exactly what it is and we'll know some timeframes then," Jackomas said.

"He'll be out for the Perth game. He obviously did the injury in the Sydney game, went out the back like everyone saw, and played on.

"He's a helluva tough kid. He tried to practice and [tonight] I was looking at him out of the corner of my eye on the bench jumping around and running around and I was thinking 'come on bro'.

"We were in a good situation there, obviously Lachie [Dent] played well in the last game and Tyler (Harvey) was all-league first team with the ball in his hands.

"That's a good thing and we've got multiple guys who can carry [the ball] that aren't the point-guard. George (King) can carry a little bit, Deng can carry a little bit, Wani can, Mud (Alex Mudronja), can.

"We'e got multiple guys there so we did it a little bit by committee and having a couple of guys who can play in that spot no problem."

The crucial win wasn't without a fourth-quarter scare, with the Phoenix pegging back a 20-point deficit late in the third term to get within seven before some poise from Harvey down the stretch got the Hawks home.

In the end, a 23-10 third quarter proved the difference, despite the hosts giving up 16 offensive rebounds and coughing up 14 turnovers in a performance more grit than polish.

The Hawks will need more of both to get the job done in Perth, but Jackomas was pleased with his side's composure in seeing it out.

"Basketball's a game of runs and they're a good team so I don't think we went into the fourth or the third or the start of any quarter thinking they weren't going to come back at us," he said.

"Obviously we were ready for it, I don't think they got ahead of us and it's just part of the game. We've got a belief in what we need to do to win and we don't fade away from that.

"I thought last game I was a little too emotional on the sideline so I was a little bit calmer in the timeouts with the instructions. We've had a plan from the beginning of the year and it has worked no matter who we've played or what talent's on the floor.

"It's just reminders to the guys of what happens in those runs. They're grown men, they have a belief in what we're doing so I just have to remind them. I was happy the boys stuck with it and we were able to get that win."

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Harvey finished with 22 points, seven in the final term, to go with five boards, while King had 16 points at a tidy 6-9 from the field.

Sam Froling fell just short of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Mangok Mathiang also cracked double figures with 10 points at 5-6.

Junior Madut did all he could for the visitors, emptying the tank to finish with 21 points and seven boards, while Alan Williams had 13 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double.

It was a tougher night for Simon Mitchell's bigger names, with Kyle Adnam's 11 points coming at 4-16 from the field and Mitch Creek was 5-15 for his 12 points.

With the Perth trip looming, Hawks coach Jacob Jackomas avoided a dreaded 0-2 home start heading into the toughest road trip on offer in the NBL, with a road trip to Adelaide following seven days later.

Williams had four early points after Deng grabbed his side's first five points, the first stoppage an early timeout from Jackomas after Madut produced a stunning chase-down block on Harvey and followed up with a three at the other end.

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Harvey had his first two triples on the resumption, with Kevin White also chiming in from deep as the Hawks took a three-point cushion into quarter-time.

Malcolm Bernard and Tim Coenraad traded threes to start the second, the latter sparking a 10-3 run punctuated by an and-one play from King as the Hawks went to the lead by six.

Madut took his tally took his tally to nine, with the Hawks struggling to clean up on the glass, the visitors pulling down six offensive boards for the term to stay in touch.

King drained his second three, with Lachie Dent contributing four on an 11-4 run to close the half that saw the Hawks take a handy seven-point lead into the break.

A sluggish start to third and attempted three from Wani Swaka Lo Buluk and Deng that didn't hit the rim prompted Jackomas to call a quick timeout less than three minutes into the term.

It had the desired effect, with the Hawks going 7-0 on resuming to take a 12-point lead. King had a quick-fire five as the lead went out to 15, the visitors having little answer any where but the offensive glass.

A monster jam from Mangok Mathiang saw the lead balloon to 20 before Madut drained an open three to cut the margin back to 17 with a quarter to play.

The Phoenix came out and dropped the first seven points of the fourth, a three from Bernard enough for Jackomas to halt proceedings less than two minutes into the term.

Swaka Lo Buluk steadied with a three but the margin was back to single digits when Creek fired from well beyond the arc for his first triple.

The Phoenix kept coming, Madut taking his tally to 21 with a bucket that drew his side back within seven before Harvey nailed a three from the carpark for an important buffer with two minutes left.

It snuffed out the last of the Phoenix resistance.

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