Machado brilliance can't quite hold out Breakers

With Scott Machado delivering a masterful performance, the CQUniversity Cairns Taipans were on track most of the game to get back on the winner's list, but the New Zealand Breakers finished strongly to snatch the 85-79 victory.

The Taipans were back at the Cairns Pop-Up Arena having played their first road game of the 2021 NBL season last Saturday night for an overtime loss to the Brisbane Bullets.

The signs were good for a lot of the game on Saturday at home to the Breakers, though, even if Mirko Djeric had been ruled out in a late fitness test with his spot in the starting five taken by Jordan Ngatai in his first game against his former hometown team.

The Taipans took control of the contest in the second quarter at stage putting together a 16-4 run to turn a five-point quarter-time deficit into a three-point lead by the half-time break with Machado on fire with 18 points and six dimes.

That turned into a double-digit advantage in the third quarter but the Breakers refused to give up and ended the game on a 15-3 run in the last 3:15 to record their first win of the season.

There were some better signs for the Taipans but they will find it hard to escape the fact that the losing streak is now at six ahead of a rematch with the same New Zealand team back at the pop-up on Monday evening.

Machado had a standout performance for the Taipans finishing with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists while nailing 4/8 from three-point territory.

Cam Oliver had a slow start but delivered a big second half for 17 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks for the game on 7/12 shooting.

Getting 42 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists from your imports as they shot 14/31 from the field, 6/13 from deep and 8/9 from the foul line means you can't ask for anything more from them.

Ngatai made a good contribution in his first game as a starter for eight points and five rebounds while Kouat Noi produced 12 points and six rebounds for the Snakes, Majok Deng nine points and six boards, George Blagojevic four points, Fabijan Krslovic three points and four rebounds, and Nate Jawai a point.

Taipans coach Mike Kelly said he still believed in his side’s talent but they needed many more defensive stops than they made in the last quarter.

"We didn’t get stops, they got to the foul line and our offence slowed down and we ended up with difficult shots," Kelly said.

"I think the Breakers got more physical in the middle of the third, we handled it well in that patch in the third. In the fourth quarter they just got downhill, got to the line, made some shots and I didn’t adjust well enough defensively. They made some tough plays."

Jordan Ngatai made the most of his first start for the Taipans scoring the team's first basket before Majok Deng hit from deep. Then Deng went on is own 6-0 run to put the Taipans in the lead midway through the opening term but New Zealand still went into quarter-time up 25-20.

The Snakes then got rolling to start the second quarter including a couple of buckets to George Blagojevic and Fabijan Krslovic, and a three ball from Scott Machado.

Oliver then caught fire with seven quick points, Machado connected again from downtown and Cairns would lead by as much as five, and still by three at the half with their point guard having delivered 18 points and six assists.

The Oliver-Machado show then really got firing in the third period for Cairns and it included a brilliant side bounds alley-oop pass from Machado which Oliver threw home with authority. 

Oliver continued on with that momentum to knock down a three ball, Ngatai did the same and the margin was out to double figures. It got out to as much as 12 and was still seven by three quarter-time.

The Taipans were back up eight when Machado hit another three early in the fourth, and still by six when Ngatai connected from beyond the arc. The lead was then still six when Machado found Deng inside with a scorching pass.

But from there, the Breakers went on to score 15 of the game's last 18 points with Lamar Patterson leading the charge to record their first win of the season.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 4

CQUNIVERSITY CAIRNS TAIPANS 79 (Machado 25, Oliver 19, Noi 10)

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 85 (T Webster 25, Patterson 22, Delany 13) 

BOX SCORE