The Illawarra Hawks will play a maximum of four games in Wollongong should their fairy tale season under interim coach Justin Tatum include playing in a NBL grand final series
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Though Hawks fans should hope there are only three games at WIN Entertainment Centre.
And the longer Illawarra fans have to wait to see their team playing playoff basketball in Wollongong, the better.
Because if a game is played at WIN Entertainment Centre on Monday, March 4, it means the Hawks started their finals' campaign with a loss away to Tasmania JackJumpers on Wednesday, February 28.
Losing their seeding qualifier to the JackJumpers would force the Hawks into a winner takes all play-in clash against the winner of the play-in qualifier between Sydney Kings and the New Zealand Breakers.
Should Tatum's team prevail in Wollongong, they will advance to take on Melbourne United in a three-game series, with the winner to progress to the five-game grand final series.
The series against United would start in Melbourne on Thursday, March 7, with game two to be played in Wollongong on Sunday, March 10.
If a deciding game three is needed it will be played at John Cain Arena in Melbourne on Wednesday, March 13.
Ideally the Hawks will hope to start their playoff campaign with a victory away to Tasmania JackJumpers.
By doing this they will go straight into a three-game grand-final qualifier against the Perth Wildcats.
Only the second game of this series will be played in Wollongong.
At time of publication the Wildcats had not released the dates for the three-game series.
Should Illawarra make the grand final, regardless of who they play, just two of the five scheduled games will be played in Wollongong - game two and game four.
The dates for the grand final series have yet to be announced.
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
