Illawarra Hawks star Marvelle Harris' father died on Saturday morning, putting a dark cloud over the Hawks preparation on the eve of their do-or-die grand final clash with the Perth Wildcats.
Harris' father had been seriously ill, with the star import missing game one of the finals series to be by his side. He returned for game two, where the Hawks lost their second straight game to the Wildcats.
"We find out this morning that 'Velle's father has died, five or six hours ago," Hawks coach Rob Beveridge said. "But the team automatically will rally behind 'Velle."
Their backs are against the wall as they face the prospect of grand final ignominy, Illawarra Hawks are in familiar territory as they look to spoil any early celebration parties for the Perth Wildcats.
After losing the first two games of the series, the Hawks are facing a near-insurmountable task at Perth Arena. But Beveridge is definitely not prepared to throw in the towel.
Beveridge conceded that the Hawks players had suffered significant individual hardships this season that has gone largely unreported, but such was the strength of the unit that they had managed to overcome it all to make the grand final. And he believes Sunday's do-or-die clash with the Wildcats will showcase once again their incredible fighting power.
"Nobody in this group feels sorry for themselves," Beveridge explained. "It's just an amazing group of guys. I don't know if I've coached a group that has gone through so much adversity and hardships from individual personal reasons.
"What this group has had to put up with off the court and be able to turn up week in week out and compete and push the superpower teams to the limit, is simply amazing."
It's that strong level of family in the squad that has made them the "Cinderella story" of the league according to Beveridge. And it also keeps the side focused only on themselves as they face the mammoth task of upsetting Perth at home.
"We play basketball for each other. We play for our fans, sponsors, etcetera, but we don't care about anybody else but our group," he said.
"I couldn't give a s--- about the Perth Wildcats or Adelaide or Melbourne. I have the highest respect for them, but we've done something very, very special this year with a group that under the circumstances - lowest resources team, backs to the wall - we're a real Cinderella story."
Beveridge had previously called Perth home as he led to the Wildcats to three grand finals, including one championship, in his five-year stint as head coach.
While the core of the team he assembled is still playing in Perth, and he admits it is "odd" to come out against his former team. And although he is still close with many of the players, any form of mateship ends the second they step foot on the court.
"It's very weird. It's a really odd feeling," he said. "It's the team that I created all those years ago ... but as soon as they cross that white line I don't give a s--- about them. They are the enemy."
The Hawks will need to break a hoodoo in Perth to keep the series alive, and take game four back to Illawarra, but are ready to break the Wildcats' spell over them.
"We've come over here not to be part of the celebration party for the Perth Wildcats, and get trashed talked and lose. We're not here for that s---. We're here to legitimately come over and beat them, and we have a belief we can do it.
"Talent wise they're so far ahead of us, but we're an incredible group of guys who play hard for each other ... we're just going to play our a----- off and if we're good enough, we'll win, and if we're not, we won't."
