The Illawarra Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 91-89 upset win over Melbourne United at John Cain Arena on Sunday, October 18, 2026, breathing life back into a season that had started with a 1-6 record.
New signing Makur Maker led the way with 23 points and six rebounds in just 19 minutes, capping his performance with a clutch three-pointer in the final minutes after United had clawed back from 16 points down to briefly take the lead.
How the Hawks pulled off the upset
According to Fox Sports, the bottom-of-the-ladder Hawks entered the contest with few giving them a chance against a Melbourne United side riding consecutive wins and rediscovering its form. The visitors answered their critics with their most complete performance of the season.
After a tight opening quarter, Illawarra took control with a stunning 35-16 second period that flipped the game on its head. The Hawks went to the main break leading 56-43, with the quarter featuring a run of dunks from both sides, including big jams from United's Sam Waardenburg and Luke Travers and from Illawarra's Daniel Grida and Maker.
Grida's defensive work in that second quarter was the turning point, shifting the momentum firmly toward the Hawks. Sam Froling got the better of his matchup with United centre Josh Oduro early, piling on 12 points by half time, while Kelan Martin contributed an important 14 points off the bench for the winners.
Cole Anthony's late surge falls short
Star import Cole Anthony, who managed only four points in the first half, responded after the interval with an offensive explosion in the third quarter, including a massive dunk. Melbourne closed within reach, but two huge dunks from Maker late in the third, one of them on the buzzer, restored a 13-point Hawks lead heading into the final term.
Anthony finished with a team-high 24 points, six rebounds and five assists, but it was not enough. The National Basketball League's official report noted that Maker's late shot from long range proved to be the biggest of the game, as Illawarra held on after leading for most of the contest.
United rallied hard in the fourth, breaking even with two minutes on the clock before an Oduro put-back put the hosts in front. The Hawks answered through Maker once again. Milton Doyle split two free throws to leave United two points behind with 4.5 seconds remaining, and Travers missed a three-point attempt at the death.
Doyle thrives against his former club
Returning to face his former team, the 32-year-old Doyle copped jeers from the United faithful and responded in kind. He drained a three-pointer in the face of Luke Travers and dominated the first half on his way to 16 points and seven assists, unfazed by the hostile reception.
Oduro finished with 16 points for Melbourne, eventually getting on top of Froling in the centre duel, but the damage done in the second quarter proved decisive for the visitors.
AAP reported that Illawarra almost frittered away a 16-point lead before escaping with the two-point win, a result that ends the club's slide and hands in-form Melbourne its first stumble in weeks.
What the result means for both clubs
For the Hawks, the win is a reset. A 1-6 start had invited talk of a season already lost, and beating a finals-calibre United outfit away from home gives the club something to build on. Maker's immediate impact, in only 19 minutes on court, suggests the new big man could be the piece Illawarra has been missing.
Melbourne, meanwhile, will rue a flat second quarter and a slow start from Anthony. The positive for coach and fans alike is the fight shown in the second half, when the home side looked down and out yet still found a way to lead late in the fourth.
The round's other results have kept the NBL ladder tight, with South East Melbourne among the sides making early-season statements, as seen in