The Illawarra Hawks will be playing for pride in their final three matches of the NBL season after their title defence ended in Auckland on the weekend.

After keeping their playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 100-99 home win over Adelaide on Thursday night, they suffered an 11-point loss to the Breakers on Saturday.

New Zealand leapfrogged the Hawks into seventh spot and with an 11-19 record, the champions can no longer qualify for the playoffs even if they win their remaining three fixtures.

After breaking the franchise’s 25-year wait for a second championship last season, the hot-and-cold campaign never got out of first gear.

Hawks coach Justin Tatum was disappointed with the way they struggled from the outset against the Breakers despite knowing their playoff dreams were on the line.

"It wasn't what I expected from my team," he said.

"Felt like we should have played with a sense of urgency.

“The inconsistency of this group has been a little frustrating here and there, but we have a great group of guys in that locker room."

The Hawks trailed 7-2 after an early Breakers blitz and the home side’s three-point shooting put the visitors on the back foot with NZ taking a 61-50 lead into the half-time interval.

Tatum rolled the dice on a smaller line-up, benching star centre JaVale McGee for the entire second half despite his tally of 15 points and seven rebounds in the opening two terms.

Todd Blanchfield and Tyler Harvey (who finished with 19 points apiece) started heating up in the third quarter and after they had trailed by as much as 16, they trimmed the gap to 84-80 by the start of the fourth term.

QJ Peterson made it a two-point game soon after the start of the final quarter but then fouled out, taking a bloodied eyebrow up the tunnel.

Davo Hickey fell one assist shy of a triple-double, recording 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists but the Hawks faded down the stretch to go down by 11 with the Breakers keeping their faint playoff hopes alive.

‍The Hawks return home to WIN Entertainment Centre on Friday night for their final home game of the season against Sydney, looking to make up for the disappointment of missing the playoffs by beating their fiercest rivals.

In better news for the Hawks, the federal government has granted Harvey permanent residency and the club will continue to support their co-captain and his family as they work through the process of becoming Australian citizens.

Harvey’s permanent residency places him on track to be eligible to play as a local player in the NBL from the 2027–28 season, subject to league confirmation.

Since arriving in the Illawarra ahead of the 2020–21 season, Harvey has become one of the most influential figures in club history, a two-time All-NBL First Team selection (2021 and 2025) and one of the league’s most reliable guards.