Huge Taipans comeback just falls short

The first half was enough to deflate the Cairns Convention Centre crowd, but they were roaring by three quarter-time as the CQUniversity Cairns Taipans delivered a remarkable comeback but couldn’t quite complete the job against the New Zealand Breakers.

The Taipans were back home in front of the Orange Army but it would be fair to say the first half didn’t go to plan.

New Zealand led by as much as 26 points in the opening half and put up 55 points while the Taipans managed just the 35 with the 15 points on perfect shooting from Keanu Pinder the only real highlight.

Then the third quarter from Cairns was incredible. They turned the pressure up on the Breakers and were able to take them right out of what was working, and then the Snakes put up 32 points.

In fact, had Stephen Zimmerman prayer on the buzzer fallen the Taipans would have even been in front by three quarter-time.

However, with just under four minutes left the Snakes were back down 12 and with the job ahead. They were able to hold the Breakers scoreless the rest of the way and got to within one thanks to Bul Kuol and Zimmerman.

Scott Machado then got a good look at the game winner just short of time expiring, but it didn’t fall and New Zealand held on to win by one.

Majok Deng delivered another 21 points and eight rebounds for Cairns with Keanu Pinder finishing with the 16 points, four boards and two blocks, but without his first half it's scary how far the Snakes might have been down.

Stephen Zimmerman added 11 points and 11 rebounds, Jordan Ngatai 10 points and six boards, and Tahjere McCall seven points and five assists.

Taipans coach Adam Forde didn’t need to say anything at half-time except implore his troops to do what he asked before the game.

"I don’t think it was anything I said. I don't know. This is the crazy thing is that there was nothing we could draw up on the whiteboard that we hadn’t gone through already," Forde said.

"We didn’t decide to go zone or trap the on-ball or hard show, we just knuckled down on what works for us defensively and picked it up a little bit more in the full court. The game plan that we spoke about at half-time was the one that we rolled into the start of the game with. The difference was effort."

After the scores were locked at 5-5 early, it was all the Breakers as they put the clamps on the Snakes while catching fire themselves. They went on a stunning 13-0 run including triples to Chasson Randle and Peyton Siva to silence the Orange Army.

It was Keanu Pinder who provided the spark for Cairns to stop the rot with six quick points but it didn’t slow New Zealand up the other end. Yanni Wetzell ended up with eight opening quarter points and then Siva and Hugo Besson connected from deep again for the 30-12 quarter-time lead.

Pinder and Majok Deng stepped up to give the Taipans the opening four points of the second term but the Breakers responded with a three-point play to Kyrin Galloway. Wetzell took over the game further down low with the Breakers' next nine points.

His and-one play sparked another 11-0 run for the Breakers to put them up 50-25 with 2:45 left in the half. Pinder continued to be the shining light for the Snakes, but a Besson triple shortly before half-time ensured New Zealand was still up 55-35.

If Taipans coach Adam Forde was lost for what to say to inspire his group at half-time, it didn’t show because the game underwent the most remarkable of turnarounds, beginning with five quick points to Jordan Ngatai.

That turned into Cairns putting up the opening 13 points of the half and it took almost four minutes for the Breakers to score their first field goal through Siva.

Siva then also drained his third three of the game to stretch things back out to a nine-point lead, but the Snakes now had the momentum. Mirko Djeric connected from downtown and the home team closed the quarter with the last five points to cut New Zealand's lead to 69-67.

The rollercoaster ride continued and New Zealand was able to get back on top to end up back 12 on the back of a Siva three-pointer and free-throws from himself and Wetzell.

However, the Snakes weren’t done with yet and back-to-back threes from Bul Kuol suddenly had Cairns back within four with 1:18 remaining and the stage was set for a grandstand finish.

It happened too. The Breakers continued to keep the Taipans in the game with ill-advised three-point attempts and the Snakes had their chances. An and-one from Stephen Zimmerman had them back within one and Scott Machado had possession for the last play with his team down one.

He ended up taking a mid-range step back jumper with time running out, it didn’t fall and the Breakers held on for the dramatic win.

The Taipans now head to Wollongong to take on the Illawarra Hawks on Friday before then heading to Adelaide to play the 36ers on Sunday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 11

CQUNIVERSITY CAIRNS TAIPANS 83 (Deng 21, Pinder 16, Zimmerman 11)

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 84 (Wetzell 23, Siva 22, Besson 14) 

BOX SCORE