A breakout masterclass from rising star Max Mackinnon has launched the Brisbane Bullets, last season's wooden-spooners, to the top of the NBL ladder with a 103-95 victory over the Illawarra Hawks.
NBA prospect Mackinnon exploded with 31 points - including 6-of-8 three-pointers - and 12 rebounds at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday night as the Bullets notched back-to-back wins for the first time in more than a year.
"Rebounding," Brisbane coach Will Weaver said when asked what impressed him most about Mackinnon's performance.
"There’s not a lot of humans on earth who can bring that approach to the boards."
Lithuanian wizard Arnas Velicka (17 points, 11 assists), Tyrell Harrison (17 points) and Nate Hinton (16 points, 10 boards) proved useful allies for Mackinnon as Brisbane became the only team in the competition with two wins.
Captain Tyler Harvey scored 20 points off the bench for the Hawks, the only winless side to date.
After Brisbane jumped Illawarra early for a 7-0 start, the Hawks fought back to briefly capture the lead before the Bullets finished the opening quarter strongly to lead 25-18 at the first change.
Mackinnon started the second period with a lay-up, a four-point play and a three-pointer - all in the first 80 seconds - as Brisbane's buffer ballooned to 34-18.
It was soon 46-28 before Harvey led a Hawks revival, the gap narrowing to 50-42 on import Milton Doyle's crafty up-and-under drive.
Mackinnon continued to fire from outside in the third stanza, burying his fourth and fifth three-pointers, but the Bullets' offence dried up later in the term.
Illawarra reduced the deficit to 73-66 at three-quarter time, but let Brisbane off the hook by missing eight consecutive free throws.
The Hawks kept chipping away in the fourth, closing the deficit to one point, before being denied by that man Mackinnon.
The son of Bullets championship legend and 2007 league MVP Sam Mackinnon drained another triple, which Hinton followed with one of his own to stave off Illawarra's rearguard action.
"My players in that locker room are really tough on themselves," Hawks coach Justin Tatum said.
"They know they need to find a way to play better, and at least give the effort-plays on both ends to give ourselves a chance to win."
