Taipans Deliver Hammer Blow to Phoenix

The Cairns Taipans have delivered a dagger to the finals hopes of the South East Melbourne Phoenix playing with great heart and hustle on the way to an 90-85 victory on their home floor on Saturday night.

It was a rematch from last Friday at Cairns Convention Centre when the Phoenix beat the Taipans 86-74, but that was South East Melbourne's only win in their past six matches to see them drop two games out of the top four.

The Taipans were up for the challenge of inflicting upon them some more pain too even with the continued absence of three of their usual starters and big minute players, Stephen Zimmerman, Tahjere McCall and Mirko Djeric.

The Snakes, though, just came out and played with intensity and freedom they haven't been able to produce for much of this season, but they put up 29 points in the first quarter, 56 for the half and were then able to complete the job.

The Phoenix did get it back to a point early in the fourth quarter, but Keanu Pinder, Bul Kuol, Majok Deng and Kouat Noi brought the energy, and with Scott Machado running a smooth ship, the Taipans held on despite some nervous moments late to make it three wins in their previous four matches.

Pinder delivered another 21 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals for Cairns on 9/11 shooting. Machado was superb running things with 16 points, 12 assists and five boards, and Deng 16 points.

Kuol added 13 points and six rebounds, and Noi 12 points and five boards.

Taipans coach Adam Forde was rightfully a proud man afterwards.

"It was good and I was really happy with the fact that I felt like even with the runs that South East went on, that I felt like we were in the driver's seat for the majority of the game," Forde said. 

"Even when they did bring it back to a two possession game and we had to call a timeout to settle things down a little bit. But I think that was the first time where I know for myself personally that I felt confident that the group felt confident that they could close it out, and it showed. 

"It was great and JK subbed on to make some clutch free-throws, Keanu had some great finishes around the rim, Kouat hit a very well-time three-pointer and dudes just stepped up so it was very pleasing."

Mitch Creek tried to will the Phoenix over the line with 21 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals with Xavier Munford added 20 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Adnam added 11 points.

Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell couldn’t hide his disappointment in the performance afterwards.

"We continue to get in our own way. For a couple of weeks now we've been focusing on doing little things exceptionally well like boxing out, caring for the ball, executing, talking and that's on both sides of the ball but especially defence," Mitchell said. 

"We've just been focusing on being solid and we were everything but that in the first half tonight. We were giving up o-boards, fouling and putting them to the line, and just making some saft plays. 

"It's upsetting and frustrating because we continue to do it. Regardless of how much we work on it and talk about it, and how much we show it, it keeps creeping into our play. That's where the disappointment comes from."

The Taipans set the tone early with the first score thanks to Majok Deng. It took almost two minutes for South East Melbourne to score first thanks to a three from Izayah Le'afa.

Deng kept his energy going, though, for the Snakes and then Kouat Noi drained a three, Jordan Ngatai made two free-throws and Noi scored inside again and the home team was up 11-5.

Simon Mitchell briefly got the response after a timeout he was after with four quick Phoenix points, but it didn’t last and three balls from Scott Machado and Noi ensured Cairns kept the momentum.

The Snakes might have struggled scoring for much of this season, but not on this night and with the energy of attacking the rim with gusto and the offensive glass, it was fitting that Keanu Pinder put the lid on a 29-26 quarter-time Cairns lead.

While South East Melbourne hit the first four points of the second period, it was still the Taipans bringing the energy and Pinder was leading the way. Deng wasn't far behind hitting a three and then an 11-0 run blew the game wide open.

It included another three ball from Deng and a three-point play as well as a big finish from Pinder and bucket from Machado and Cairns were up 45-35.

The Phoenix had to dig deep with their season on the line but they just couldn’t contain the Taipans who put up 56 points for the half on a Deng triple just before the buzzer to see the home team up eight at the break.

It was slow going to start the second half for both teams. After combining for 104 points in the opening half, they only scored two points each in more than four minutes of the third quarter until a Bul Kuol three stretched the Cairns advantage back out to 11.

It was Creek getting aggressive that helped the Phoenix work back into the game and by three quarter-time the margin was just four points.

The fourth quarter couldn’t have started worse for South East Melbourne. Machado hit a three to put Cairns back up seven before an offensive foul call against the visitors.

But the Phoenix had too much at stake not to respond and Creek and Reuben Te Rangi both scored to bring the deficit back to three. A Zhou Qi dunk then made it a one-point game and Adam Forde wanted to talk it over.

He got the perfect response with Cairns scoring 10 of the next 11 points to be back up eight on the back of a good inside finish to Pinder, and-one from Kuol and triple from Noi before it was Mitchell's time to talk it over.

Cairns looked to have done enough up 88-78 with two minutes to go, but South East Melbourne scored the next seven and things got interesting. 

They forced a couple of turnovers, Jordan Ngatai missed his first two free-throws of the season and Creek and Munford missed a couple of golden chances to make it a one-point game.

A turnover from either team followed but Cairns got the job done thanks to Jarrod Kenny at the foul line.

The Taipans now jump on a plane to Hobart to take on the New Zealand Breakers on Monday night. The Phoenix don't play again until a massive Throwdown with Melbourne United on Thursday night at John Cain Arena.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 18

CAIRNS TAIPANS 90 (Pinder 21, Machado 16, Deng 16)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 85 (Creek 21, Munford 20, Adnam 11) 

BOX SCORE