Illawarra have finally put two wins together, and Makur Maker was at the centre of the second. The Hawks beat Cairns 107–95 on Thursday night, with Maker producing 24 points, nine rebounds and two blocks as the visitors turned a breathless first half into a convincing finish. It was their first pair of consecutive victories this NBL27 season, following a win in Perth.
The final margin disguises how wild the opening exchanges were. Cairns led 35–32 at quarter-time after the sides combined to make 13 of 16 three-point attempts in the first period. By half-time, 123 points had been scored and 19 threes had fallen. The Taipans still led 62–61, but a game played at that temperature was always going to demand something beyond hot shooting.
Illawarra found it after the break. The Hawks outscored Cairns 46–33 across the second half, while the Taipans managed only two makes from 14 three-point attempts in that stretch. Illawarra entered the final quarter ahead 87–82 and kept extending the margin. The NBL's official match report records Maker shooting 9-of-14 from the field; his production was not simply a product of the first-half three-point frenzy.
The supporting cast mattered, too. Tyler Harvey and Kelan Martin scored 19 apiece, with Harvey hitting five of eight from deep. Milton Doyle added 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. That spread gives Illawarra a more interesting attacking shape than a single-player rescue mission. Maker supplied the headline performance, but four Hawks reached at least 18 points.
Cairns had plenty of individual contributions without the same finish. Keanu Pinder posted 21 points and eight rebounds while navigating foul trouble. Jack McVeigh finished with 20 points and seven assists but did not score in the fourth quarter. Jaylon Brown added 14 points and five assists; Luke Paul scored 12 in his first start. Those figures explain why the Taipans stayed in touch for so long, but they could not offset the second-half shooting collapse.
For Buckets fantasy managers, Maker's combination of scoring, rebounds and blocks deserves attention, especially because it came in a win rather than an empty late-game scoring burst. Harvey's perimeter production and Doyle's contributions across categories are worth noting as well. One game does not establish a permanent rotation hierarchy or a reliable projection, though, and any draft decision still depends on your league's actual roster and scoring settings.
There is little time for either side to admire or dissect this one. According to the official NBL Round 8 schedule and pre-game information, Illawarra's next assignment is away to Adelaide on Saturday, while Cairns travel to Perth on Sunday. The Hawks have found some momentum; their next test is whether this more balanced offence travels with them.
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