‘No way’: Hawks Coach Justin Tatum Fumes Over Makur Maker Ejection in Fiery Adelaide Scuffle

Illawarra Hawks head coach Justin Tatum has voiced fierce frustration with the officiating following a chaotic late-game altercation that saw centre Makur Maker ejected during his side's 28-point defeat to the Adelaide 36ers.

The flashpoint occurred late in the fourth quarter at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre with the 36ers holding a commanding 27-point advantage. A physical confrontation between Adelaide's Nick Rakocevic and Maker prompted Hawks guard William Hickey to push Rakocevic in the chest, sparking an all-in melee that spilled directly into the Illawarra bench.

foxsports.com.au: It was a fiery game. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

How the Final-Quarter Scuffle Unfolded

Tension boiled over in the closing minutes as both benches and on-court players converged along the sideline. The sequence escalated through several rapid exchanges:

1. Rakocevic made physical contact with Maker as the ball went out of bounds.
2. Hickey intervened immediately, shoving Rakocevic in the chest in defence of his teammate.
3. Players from both sides joined the confrontation, sending the scuffle across the touchline toward the Hawks' coaching area.
4. Tatum stepped between the players, physically restraining Rakocevic to prevent further escalation.
5. Match officials reviewed the incident and assessed Maker with a technical foul alongside an unsportsmanlike foul, resulting in his immediate ejection and four free throws for Adelaide.

Tatum Challenges Decision and Referee Consistency

Speaking after the match, Tatum strongly disputed the severity of the penalty handed to Maker, arguing that the initial provocation went unpunished relative to the sanctions against his player.

“It was unfortunate. It’s unfortunate what the result was,” Tatum said. “He should not have been kicked out, but if he was, then both of them should have been kicked out. But Adelaide’s Adelaide, so it is what it is.”

Tatum took specific aim at the foul distribution and referee Chris Reid, questioning why Maker was hit with multiple infractions while Rakocevic remained on the floor.

“They gave him one technical foul for retaliating and then an unsportsmanlike. We were trying to figure out where was the unsportsmanlike foul at,” Tatum said. “As soon as the ball went out of bounds Rakocevic clearly pushed him in the back and anybody will react to getting pushed in the back... there’s no way MK should have got two technical fouls and kicked out, and Adelaide shoot four free throws and get the ball.”

Hawks Outclassed on the Floor Despite Grievances

While Tatum expressed anger over the officiating, he conceded that Illawarra's on-court performance fell well short of the standard required. The Hawks were thoroughly outplayed across the final three quarters, struggling to match Adelaide's perimeter efficiency.

“We should have played better. We should have handled things better and unfortunately we didn’t,” Tatum said.

The 36ers built their decisive margin behind a historic display from Zylan Cheatham, who collected his first NBL triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Bryce Cotton broke the contest open with a blistering 17-point burst in the third quarter after a quiet opening half.

Adelaide converted 14 of their 29 attempts from beyond the arc (48 per cent), whereas the Hawks managed just 29 per cent from deep. Sixteen-year-old Raheim Brown Jr capped off the Adelaide victory with a late three-pointer to send the home crowd into raptures, leaving the last-placed Hawks searching for answers heading into their next assignment.