The Cairns Taipans have recorded a nail-biting 85-83 win over fellow finals hopefuls New Zealand Breakers to shut in on an NBL play-offs spot whereas stretching their profitable streak to 6 video games.
As the season reaches its pointy finish, the second-placed Taipans are three wins forward of the third-placed Breakers, who’ve performed one much less recreation.
Barring losses to lowly Brisbane and Adelaide, Cairns ought to lock up second spot and a ticket to the semi-finals, capping off a exceptional comeback from two years within the doldrums.
The Breakers have received two of their previous eight video games and desperately want to search out some kind in the event that they’re to grab second spot and keep away from the play-in event applied as a part of the NBL’s new finals construction.
The Taipans opened up a buffer on both aspect of quarter-time that they didn’t give up for the rest of Sunday’s recreation in Auckland, regardless of stiff resistance from New Zealand’s Will McDowell-White, who had a season-high 29 factors whereas making seven from 10 three-point makes an attempt.
Cairns huge man Keanu Pinder missed his sixth straight recreation with an ankle damage however the Taipans didn’t need for dimension nor scoring choices, as captain Tahjere McCall, DJ Hogg and Bul Kuol all stood up with 18 factors every.
The Breakers had been vulnerable to turnovers early and struggled from deep, hitting solely six of 17 first-half makes an attempt, however McDowell-White hit two three-pointers within the minute earlier than halftime to shut the hole to eight factors on the foremost change.
McDowell-White and Jarrell Brantley contributed 30 of the Breakers’ 40 first-half factors, with their teammates chipping in solely 4 subject objectives between them for the half.
McDowell-White went down with what appeared to be an ankle damage simply after halftime however managed to return to the competition, as teammates Tom Abercrombie and Izayah Le’Afa additionally gave the impression to be taking part in via niggles.
Adam Forde benched imports Shannon Scott and McCall once they clocked up their fourth private fouls within the third quarter.
McDowell-White and Brantley helped the Breakers catch up and down two factors within the remaining 5 seconds, the house aspect had one final likelihood to take the lead for the primary time because the first quarter.
But Abercromie’s three-point try bounced off the rim and the Taipans held on for a vital victory.
