Game Preview: Taipans v 36ers

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans head south for a rapid turnaround clash against the in-form Adelaide 36ers on Sunday afternoon — just two days after showing grit but ultimately falling 101-90 to the SEM Phoenix.

With the Taipans still navigating a heavily depleted backcourt, Head Coach Adam Forde will again lean on Andrew Andrews’ playmaking after his double-double on Saturday and the growing offensive rhythm of Jack McVeigh and Mojave King.

Superstar guard Bryce Cotton and Adelaide 36ers return home after defeating the JackJumpers on Thursday evening.

Adelaide have also strengthened their roster ahead of Sunday’s clash, signing 371-game NBA veteran Troy Brown Jr as their third import following Bryce Cotton’s Australian citizenship.

The versatile wing will make his NBL debut against Cairns, adding size, shooting and defensive length to a 36ers lineup already featuring Zylan Cheatham, Nick Rakocevic and Boomer duo Dejan Vasiljevic and Isaac Humphries.

Expect a fast-paced contest as Cairns look to build on a strong second-half response from Friday night, while the 36ers aim to continue their push up the ladder.

Where and When

Sunday, 16 November at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre (3:30pm AEST)

How to Follow

Watch: Live on 10 Drama and ESPN

Live Updates: Taipans X

Stats: Box Score

What’s Already Happened

Recent Results

Cairns Taipans (90) v SEM Phoenix (101)
Tasmania JackJumpers (86) v Adelaide 36ers (97)

The Taipans are coming off a 101–90 loss to South East Melbourne on Friday night, where a costly second-quarter from the Phoenix proved decisive.

Cairns opened strongly behind Andrew Andrews’ early playmaking masterclass and trailed just 24–28 at quarter time, but Phoenix shifted gears by blitzing Andrews on every touch, exposing the Snakes’ injury-hit backcourt. South East Melbourne poured in 36 points in the second term to build a 25-point half-time buffer, fuelled by Angus Glover’s red-hot shooting spree on his way to 24 points.

Despite the deficit, Cairns responded with energy in the second half, with Marcus Lee and Mojave King igniting the crowd and Jack McVeigh leading the scoring with 22 points. Andrews battled through constant traps to record an 11-point, 10-assist double-double, while King and Kyrin Galloway added strong support.

Cairns ultimately outscored Phoenix 53–37 after the main break but couldn’t fully erase the early damage. The game also marked the season debut of Queensland guard Kian Dennis, who stepped in as an injury replacement for the depleted backcourt.

In their last fixture against the 36ers, the Taipans pushed Adelaide to the brink in Cairns before falling 91–86, despite a record-breaking 53-point performance from Bryce Cotton.

Cairns showed real fight throughout, trimming an eight-point half-time deficit to just two in the final term behind Andrew Andrews’ 23 points and Admiral Schofield’s timely shooting.

Even with key outs, the Taipans produced one of their most balanced offensive displays of the season, with four players reaching double figures and the bruising frontcourt duel between Schofield and Zylan Cheatham setting the physical tone of the night.

Player to Watch - Admiral Schofield 

Import forward Admiral Schofield continues to log heavy minutes as Cairns’ starting centre in their small-ball lineup, delivering 14 points and eight rebounds against Phoenix. His physicality, floor spacing and toughness around the rim have been crucial with the Taipans’ frontcourt depth stretched.

Sunday presents another bruising challenge: Adelaide big Zylan Cheatham is coming off a dominant 27-point, 13-rebound performance, and the pair have history. In their previous meeting, Schofield poured in 18 points (5/12 3P) with nine boards and five assists, going toe-to-toe with Cheatham in a fierce battle that set the tone of the night.

Their rematch looms as a key swing point in this contest — especially if Cairns stick with their undersized, high-energy lineup.

Head Coach Adam Forde
"We don’t want to roll over, and we’re not interested in excuses before the game even starts. I’ll back the players who want to fight and compete and we need everyone fully committed — especially on the defensive end. I’m not worried about our spirit, we just need to keep pushing through these next two games before the FIBA break.”
"They’re a great group, no one’s sulking, no one’s quitting on each other. We just need extra bodies and I feel confident that after the break, when we get everyone back — Sam Waardenburg, Reyne Smith, Kody Stattmann and Kyle Adnam. We’ll take a real swing at it. I’d love to have a couple more wins under our belt, but that’s not our reality right now. So do we sit around talking about what could’ve been, or do we make a genuine run at it? There’s no reason we can’t once we’re healthy. For now, we’ve got two more games to fight through until the FIBA break and I’ve got no doubt the group will rise to the occasion."

The Lineups

Taipans

PG – Andrew Andrews / Lloyd McVeigh

SG – Lachlan Barker / Kian Dennis

SF – Mojave King / Mawot Mag

PF – Jack McVeigh /  Kyrin Galloway

C – Admiral Schofield / Marcus Lee / Jed Richardson

36ers

PG – Bryce Cotton / Isaac White / Keanu Rasmussen

SG – DJ Vasiljevic / Matt Kenyon

SF – Flynn Cameron / Troy Brown Jr. / Michael Harris 

PF – Zylan Cheatham / Nick Rakocevic

C – Isaac Humphries / Blake Jones

Ins and Outs

Taipans

Ins – Lachlan Barker, Lloyd McVeigh, Jed Richardson, Kian Dennis

Outs – Sam Waardenburg (ankle), Kody Stattmann (hamstring), Alex Higgins-Titsha (hand), Reyne Smith (foot), Kyle Adnam (knee)

36ers

Ins – Tony Brown Jr.

Game time decision – Isaac Humpries (soreness)