East Finals | Sharks show bite to set up Hawks clash

Featured image: @larasullivanphotography

The Sutherland Sharks came into the finals the hottest team in the NBL1 East and showed on Saturday night how they can hit back by flexing their muscles to end the season of the Maitland Mustangs in emphatic fashion with the 100-76 win.

The Sharks came into the finals having won their past nine matches to sit in third position and set up a tantalising qualifying final with the Norths Bears, but they went down to 14 points on the road.

They then had home court advantage at Sutherland Basketball Stadium for Saturday night's semi-final against a Maitland team who did fire late in the season to make the post-season winning six of the last eight matches.

The Mustangs then beat the defending champion Gunners in Canberra to start the finals last Saturday night so they would have liked their chances to take the fight up to the Sharks.

Sutherland made a flying start with 31 points to 18 in the first quarter having gone on an 11-0 run and they were shooting 11/17 from the field to 7/18 from Maitland along with 8/9 to 2/3 at the foul line.

Tyler Robertson already had nine points and four assists before he then added another nine points in the second quarter and Sutherland retained control with another 30 points to 25.

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That saw the lead for the Sharks grow to 25 points in that second period and by half-time they were still on top 61-43 going into half-time on the back of shooting 23/39 from the field to 15/33 from the Mustangs while also forcing Maitland into 11 turnovers.

The Sharks then had another 24 points to 18 in the third term and Robertson was proving the best player on the floor and he was up to 22 points, five assists and four rebounds by three quarter-time.

Sutherland were leading 85-61 as a result and then it was 15 points apiece in the fourth quarter as they went on to win by 24 and set up a mouth watering preliminary final on Saturday night in Wollongong against the Illawarra Hawks.

The Sharks ended the night shooting 52 per cent from the field to 39 along with gong 22/25 at the foul line to 10/14 while also forcing the Mustangs into 19 turnovers.

Sydney Kings NBL guard Tyler Robertson was outstanding with 24 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals.

Adrian Cabrera also delivered 20 points on 8/10 shooting with Lochlan Hutchison contributing 13 points and six assists, Jason Spurgin 12 points and four rebounds, Harrison Raynor nine points, four boards and four assists, and Luke Jamieson six points, 16 rebounds, seven steals and two assists.

It's the season over the Mustangs but after they lost four of the first six games, it was a good performance to reach the second round in 2026 with two-time MVP Will Cranston-Lown putting up 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Myles Cherry also had 13 points, five rebounds and two assists, Daniel Millburn 11 points on 3/4 three-point shooting, and Matthew Gray 10 points and three boards.

But it was a tough night for Cairns Taipans NBL guard Reyne Smith with just nine points, three assists and three steals on 2/14 field goal shooting.

NBL1 EAST 2026 SEASON | SEMI FINALS

SUTHERLAND SHARKS 100 (Robertson 24, Cabrera 20, Hutchison 13)

MAITLAND MUSTANGS 76 (Cranston-Lown 17, Cherry 13, Millburn 11)