Game Preview: Taipans v Wildcats

Coach Forde’s troops will appear for their third game on the Gold Coast and are seeking their first win at the NBL Blitz. They will line up against the Perth Wildcats, who are entering the final game of an extended pre-season. They are on a seven-game undefeated run, but will be without star Bryce Cotton when they take to the court tonight.

This will be the first chance for the Orange Army to see Tad Dufelmeier back in a Taipans uniform, as the guard dons orange once more as a Nominated Replacement Player, with both Taran Armstrong and Kyle Adnam sitting on the sidelined.

Where and When

Thursday, September 12 at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, Gold Coast (7:30pm AEST)

How to Follow

Watch: Live on Kayo

Live Updates: Taipans X

Stats: Box Score

What’s Already Happened

Scoring will be a major focus for the Taipans, with the team shooting at 32% and 39% from the field in the first two games – a stat that was particularly clear in their last loss as the Kings hit 18 shots from deep at 46%. This will be an interesting test for Cairns as they face a sharpshooting Perth lineup, who has shot at 55% and 46% from the field in their respective Gold Coast games.

The team’s new look import trio scored 42 of the Taipans’ 77 points on Monday night and will be looking to grow in confidence, as Coach Forde looks for more from his bench after they contributed just 17 points at 26% in their last appearance.

The Wildcats will line up for their eighth game ahead of the 2024-25 season, but despite a lengthy pre-season have gone undefeated. With the extended minutes they’ve played they are managing player workloads and have turned to the younger side of their squad, with Ben Henshall being a major standout for the Cats. He’s turned into a regular starter on the Gold Coast where he scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and 2 steals in his last outing against the Hawks.

Player to Watch

Emerging from Monday’s loss with a double-double, center Tanner Groves will look to keep his momentum going against the Wildcats after shooting at 71% versus the Kings whilst racking up 11 boards. He’ll face former Taipan Keanu Pinder, who starred in the Wildcat’s first game on the Blitz but played a reduced role on Tuesday night.

Ins and Outs

Taipans

Ins – Tad Dufelmeier

Outs – Kyle Adnam (knee), Taran Armstrong (calf)

Wildcats

Ins – Tai Webster, Todd Withers

Outs – Bryce Cotton (thumb), Dylan Windler (ankle – game time decision)