The Hawks were desperate to maintain their undefeated streak heading into their first game in Wollongong, but the Phoenix had other ideas in maintaining their own unbeaten run against Illawarra since entering the competition last season.

A blazing hot third quarter from Phoenix sharpshooter Cam Gliddon proved the dagger for the hosts, with the big-name recruit breaking out of a shooting slump with five triples from seven attempts in the third term. It gave his side a 19-point cushion heading into the final break and was part of a tidy team effort from the perimeter that saw the Phoenix shoot 11-24 from deep in their return to their home floor.

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On the flip-side, the Hawks barely resembled the side that blazed a 4-0 trail over the opening month of the season as they were out-hustled up the floor and on the glass, coughing up eight turnovers and in the first half to finish with 12 for the game, while giving up 17 offensive rebounds.

Having spent all but seven days since Boxing Day on the road, coach Brian Goorjian admitted he feared there'd be a let-down at some point, but said his side didn't meet its own standards, particularly at the defensive end.

"There's a formula on how we've won, I've talked a lot about it to the team and through the media, and it's not an easy formula," Goorjian said.

"You've got to win those energy points, those effort points, and for us that's winning the rebound count, and keeping them off the foul-line. I thought in the four games prior we've been very good [defending] the on-ball. Tonight, all those areas we lost and I thought we just looked a step off it.

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"I was banging that drum at the timeouts and at halftime, our schemes were a step off and everything seemed a bit off. They smashed us on the glass and shot at a really high percentage so that was a real concern to have any chance of winning.

"It sends a message [to us], this isn't the Illawarra Hawks of the last couple of years. These teams aren't coming in half asleep and thinking 'here comes and easy beat'. We've set a trademark from the start and we're getting teams that are energised and pumped as you walk in.

"[We'll do] video, we've got a quick turnaround and we're playing the best team in the competition at home. That's what I keep saying about this league... it's tough because every team in this competition is good. Wherever you go, whoever you play, it's going to be a tough game and you've got to play well to win."

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Gliddon had all of his 15 points in his third-quarter explosion while Ben Moore was dominant in the paint with a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double. Keifer Sykes had 15 points and seven assists, with Mitch Creek and Kyle Adnam also chiming in with 15 points.

If there was a silver lining for Goorjian it was the performances of marquee pair Deng Adel and Cam Bairstow who've both endured injury-hampered starts to the season. Adel led the Hawks with 17 points, while Bairstow had nine of his 14 points in the first quarter in his return from injury.

Tyler Harvey was the only other Hawk in double figures with 13 points but it was a forgettable outing for Goorjian's team ahead of Wednesday's showdown with league-leading United, with the result taking at least some of the shine off the looming Wollongong homecoming.

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