Galloway ignites Taipans in home thriller

Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans have launched their NBL27 campaign in style, holding off a determined Tasmania JackJumpers outfit for a thrilling 93-87 victory at the Cairns Convention Centre on Wednesday night.

Kyrin Galloway provided the spark when the game was there to be won, inspiring a decisive 22-5 Taipans run spanning the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth to help Cairns to finally take control of the contest.

The Taipans came out firing in front of the Orange Army, knocking down seven of their first nine three-point attempts as they surged to a 20-point advantage during the opening half.

But Tasmania refused to go away.

Led by Will Magnay, the JackJumpers responded with a 21-2 run to erase the deficit and briefly reclaim the lead before Jaylon Brown drained a three-pointer on the half-time buzzer to send Cairns into the main break with a 45-44 advantage.

The momentum continued to swing throughout an absorbing third quarter.

Both teams traded blows and the lead before Keanu Pinder connected from beyond the arc on the buzzer to level the scores at 66-66 heading into the final term.

Then Galloway took over.

The 203cm forward buried back-to-back triples to open the fourth quarter as Cairns turned a late third-quarter deficit into an 85-71 advantage midway through the final term.

Tasmania had one more push, responding with eight unanswered points to bring the margin back to single figures, but Brown delivered when it mattered most.

BROWN DELIVERS WHEN IT MATTERS

In his first game in front of the Orange Army, Brown gave Taipans fans an exciting glimpse of what he can bring this season.

The 183cm point guard scored nine of his equal game-high 20 points in the final quarter, adding five rebounds and four assists in an impressive all-round performance.

Brown attacked the basket from the outset but also showed his composure from range, with his three-pointer on the half-time buzzer proving one of the biggest momentum-changing moments of the night.

Cairns’ composure at the free-throw line also proved crucial down the stretch, with the Taipans converting 92 per cent of their attempts compared to Tasmania’s 61 per cent.

GALLOWAY PROVIDES THE SPARK

When Cairns needed someone to break the game open, Galloway answered the call.

The athletic forward produced 19 points off the bench, including five three-pointers, while also delivering one of the defensive plays of the night with a huge fourth-quarter block on Magnay.

His back-to-back triples at the start of the final quarter gave the Taipans the separation they had been searching for and capped a remarkable turnaround from three points down late in the third term to 14 points ahead midway through the fourth.

Galloway’s impact also highlighted the depth at Adam Forde’s disposal.

Jack McVeigh remained an important contributor with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Sunday Dech, Shaun Bruce and Joah Bolden each produced important moments throughout the contest.

With NBL Next Star Luke Paul and three-time NBL champion Jaylin Galloway still to come into the line-up, the early signs suggest Forde will have plenty of options to call upon this season.

ARMSTRONG IMPRESSES ON CAIRNS RETURN

Former Taipan Taran Armstrong returned to Far North Queensland in opposition colours for the first time in the NBL and made his presence felt.

The 196cm guard finished with an equal game-high 20 points alongside seven rebounds and six assists, playing an important role in Tasmania’s second-quarter fightback.

His battle with Malique Lewis provided an intriguing subplot throughout the night, with Armstrong remaining dangerous as the JackJumpers continued to challenge in the second half.

Despite missing Josh Bannan, Anthony Drmic, Ben Ayre and Majok Deng, Tasmania found plenty of production through Armstrong, Magnay and David Johnson.

Magnay finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Johnson recorded 18 points and seven boards.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Taipans now hit the road looking to build on their winning start, travelling to Adelaide to face the 36ers at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday afternoon from 4pm.

CAIRNS TAIPANS 93 (J Brown 20, K Galloway 19, J McVeigh 17) def TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 87 (Armstrong 20, Johnson 18, Magnay 17) at the Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns.

BOX SCORE