A last-play block from Tyrell Harrison and another flying smother from Nathan Sobey has helped Brisbane home in a one-point NBL win over Illawarra.
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Chasing just a third road win from their last 21 trips, the Hawks came from eight back and led by four in the final quarter against a team that's had its share of last-term jitters.
But Brisbane edged clear on Sunday and defended a one-point lead when Chris Smith's shot rimmed out and Harrison (10 points, eight rebounds) blocked Gary Clarke's lay-up to secure a 78-77 win.
Sobey (eight points, seven rebounds, six assists) had earlier got a hand in front of Tyler Harvey's three-point effort that would have tied the game with 40 seconds to play.
The Bullets, missing a concussed Josh Bannan, made just 11-of-23 free throws.
They scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter but it was enough to secure a second victory in three days after a similarly nervy finish in Cairns that ended a three-game losing streak.
"I'll take wins any day of the week," Bullets coach Justin Schueller said.
"We played with the habits we wanted; key guys can be game winners for them and we did a good job on them.
"We went to what we wanted and found ways to get key scores at key times."
Brisbane improved to 7-7 as a result, while the Hawks (3-8) were forced to lick their wounds after going within a bucket of back-to-back victories since axing head coach Jacob Jackomas.
Smith (16 points) again provided the attack from the bench while Aron Baynes, sporting a black eye from Friday's bruising defeat of the Taipans, had 10 points and four rebounds in 11 minutes.
Harvey shot just one-of-11 from the field to finish with five points but the Hawks shared the production, with four men scoring between 10 and 13 points.
Clark (13 points, nine rebounds) loomed as the match winner down the stretch but was unable to finish several close-range efforts, including the final play of the game.
"We couldn't get a better shot," interim coach Justin Tatum said of that moment.
"Great contest. My guys fought hard and executed almost every category we've been working on.
"We got the short end of the stick, that's how the game goes at times."
He backed Harvey, a noted sharp-shooter, to snap out of his funk.
"At the end of the day they have to make them, but the shots they had were great," he said.
"Tyler's ceiling's extremely high ... when we play Perth on Friday he could be 11-for-11."
Australian Associated Press
