Basketball On The Internet.

EITHER a black cat crossed Gordie McLeod's path, Glen Saville broke a mirror or Oscar Forman walked under a ladder at some point this NBL season.

How else would it be possible to account for Wollongong's season-wrecking run of injuries in 2012-13?

OK, it's unlikely Forman could fit under a regulation ladder so we can rule that one out.

But to lose your starting backcourt in the same game and to potentially have them done for the rest of this iiNet NBL championship - not to mention some of next season's - is just horrific.

So far this season the Hawks at various times have been missing Tim Coenraad (and that started during the PSST), Tyson Demos and Larry Davidson.

Daniel Jackson went down just recently.

Last night at home to Cairns, Rhys Martin, having arguably his best NBL campaign, and import, All Star and Slam Dunk runner-up Lance Hurdle, both went down to knee injuries.

Martin went out early and it looked bad - ACL-style bad.

The Hawks hung tough and still led by double-digits going into the last quarter.

Then Hurdle went down with five minutes left in regulation.

Locked at 79-79, the game went on in to overtime where the Taipans prevailed 94-81 to finally move out of the bomb shelter and drop Adelaide into it, at least, overnight.

The problems for the Hawks now are many.

Firstly, while Jackson was down and Coenraad and Davidson doubtful, the club could not afford to bring in Jeff Dowdell as a temporary fix. Dowdell will land on his feet and already has a SEABL gig with Canberra Gunners.

But now finding a quality Australian point guard to fill in for Martin looks as tough as finding a Shane Heal tweet which made any sense yesterday. (Turn your phone off in your pants Shane!)

If finding a guard was easy, Perth would already have revealed its replacement for The Buccaneer, right?

Then if Hurdle is done, that's replacement import territory which, at this time of year, is very hit-and-miss. Unless you already know someone, such as Tywain McKee.

No, he's not currently available. I'm just saying it's a risky business snaring an import at this time of year unles he is someone you know.

Wollongong CEO Mili Simic said the club had been gutted, having had six of its 11-man roster cut down by injury this season.

On the positive side, last season Gold Coast had to deal with Chris Goulding (calf), Adam Gibson (calf), James Harvey (calf/wrist), Stephen Hoare (back), Anthony Petrie (Achilles/back) and Pero Vasilejvic all being injured at various times.

But the Blaze still went out in a blaze of glory, retaining their top-four semi final spot.

"Rhys and Lance will get MRIs done either today or Monday," Simic said.

"More likely Rhys' season is done, and Lance we hope it's not as bad, but the MRI will confirm the extent.

"In my time and I think Gordo's too, I've never ever seen a starting backcourt go down in one game to two knee injuries."

That's one for The Statman, but certainly I cannot recall it occurring.

Hurdle's best-case scenario is a knee sprain but if it is worse, the Hawks quickly will need to weigh their options.

Losing Martin and Hurdle is a vicious blow as Wollongong looked set to right its course yesterday with Davidson a key returnee.

The Hawks now have lost seven of their past eight games in a season which looked well on track to reward veteran Saville with potentially the perfect farewell, another tilt at a championship.