Cairns Taipans have produced a memorable New Year’s Eve efficiency, recovering from 18 factors down within the fourth quarter to finish a outstanding 86-83 comeback victory over Adelaide 36ers.
With injured star Keanu Pinder on the sidelines, the Taipans surprised the Sixers at Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday to equal the biggest final-quarter comeback within the NBL’s 40-minute period – matching the file set by Adelaide towards the Sydney Kings in 2015.
Former Kings import Ian Clark appeared to place Adelaide in an unassailable place when his three-pointer handed the Sixers a 78-60 benefit nearing the halfway level of the fourth quarter however Cairns stormed residence with a 26-5 cost.
DJ Hogg’s layup with simply over a minute to play put Cairns in entrance 82-80, however Clark regained the lead for Adelaide with a triple earlier than Shannon Scott capped a career-high scoring night time with the go-ahead three-pointer with 30 seconds to play.
Clark then missed a game-tying mid-range jumper and Tahjere McCall made one among two free throws to place Cairns forward by three. Robert Franks was unable to ship the sport into time beyond regulation with a last-gasp triple.
Scott completed with 31 factors on 11-of-15 capturing, together with 5-of-7 from three-point vary, to assist enhance the Taipans’ offence with Pinder sidelined and Hogg impacted with foul bother.
“That’s just our team – one band, one sound. Everybody plays their role until it’s time for them to get in the game and do what they do,” McCall instructed ESPN about Scott’s impression on the sport.
“Shannon came up big, somebody’s always gonna step up for us. That’s how teams win. There’s no one person, there’s the team so that’s big for us.”
McCall added 19 factors and 5 assists because the Taipans (11-7) ended a two-game shedding skid to maneuver inside half a recreation of second-placed New Zealand on the ladder.
Adelaide led by 10 factors within the second quarter however the Taipans launched a 16-0 scoring run to hit the entrance and safe a slim 41-40 edge at halftime, Scott compiling 18 factors on 7-of-9 capturing, together with an ideal 4-of-4 from lengthy distance.
The Sixers dominated the third quarter as Anthony Drmic and Daniel Johnson helped the guests outscore Cairns 24-13 and head into the ultimate stanza with a helpful 64-54 benefit.
But after a 14-6 begin to the fourth quarter, Adelaide imploded to see their four-game profitable streak finish in spectacular trend.
Antonius Cleveland scored a team-high 16 factors, Clark completed with 15 in 18 minutes and Drmic added 14 but it surely was not sufficient as Adelaide missed the possibility to rise above Cairns into fourth spot on the ladder, as an alternative dropping to seventh with a 10-9 file.
