Machado sparks fightback for Taipans against Kings

Scott Machado came out a man possessed in the second half and it was almost enough for the CQUniversity Cairns Taipans to get a critical win on Sunday but the Sydney Kings closed it out to claim the 75-73 victory.

It was a significant challenge for the Taipans to bounce back from a loss in Perth on Friday night and then take it up to a Kings team just some 40 hours later at Qudos Bank Arena after they had hammered Melbourne United on the same floor by 28 points on Friday as well.

But Cairns started promisingly to lead 21-13 during the first quarter and then despite Machado and Cam Oliver only combining for four points in the opening half, they took over the game during the third period.

The star Taipans duo combined for a 15-0 run with the Taipans putting the clamps on the Kings holding them to one-point in more than seven minutes of play to turn an 11-point deficit into what was a five-point edge early in the fourth term.

But the game just felt destined to go down to the wire and it did come down to the final possession with Cairns down two after Shaun Bruce hit a big three-pointer for the Kings with 1:25 on the clock.

Eventually it came down to the ball being in Machado's hands but as he drove to the hoop the Snakes couldn’t get a good look and the Kings held them out for the two-point victory on their home floor.

Machado had just the four points at half-time but was an inspired man in the second half for the Taipans finishing with 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Fabijan Krslovic continued his career-best run of form with another 13 points and five rebounds while Nate Jawai proved tough for the Kings to counter once again when he caught it down low. He produced 12 points and five rebounds on 5/7 shooting.

Mirko Djeric was hot early and ended up with 11 points and three assists with Cam Oliver finishing with seven points, seven rebounds and two steals after a scoreless opening half.

Jordan Ngatai added six points and Jarrod Kenny three to go with four rebounds and two assists.

Cairns coach Mike Kelly was proud of the fight shown from the team even if they didn’t quite get the result in the finish.

"It was definitely a winnable game the way the guys fought through that third and fourth quarter. We had our opportunities and they beat us," Kelly said.

"I thought the guys' effort was great. Not everything worked and especially in that first half we had some looks we didn’t finish and our defence wasn’t great all the time, but the effort was good and the guys kept working. 

"That's what you've got to do when you're not playing your best is fight through it. I thought the guys did that tonight."

It was a slow start from Cairns giving up the first five points to Sydney but the Snakes got rolling when Mirko Djeric connected from deep and turned it into a four-point play. Scott Machado then put the visitors in front.

The Taipans would soon go on a 7-0 run to work their way on top including a Nate Jawai three-point play. Djeric and Jarrod Kenny then hit three balls for Cairns to lead 21-13, and still 21-20 by quarter-time despite the six turnovers.

The going was a lot tougher to start the second quarter. The Taipans went scoreless for more than three minutes before Jordan Ngatai connected on a three-pointer. That was enough to put the Snakes back up 24-22.

While the offence was struggling a little, the answers came in the form of finding Jawai in the block. He would score the next seven points for Cairns to help them keep pace with the Kings. Fabijan Krslovic then scored the team's last six points of the half to keep them within six at the break of the Kings.

The signs were ominous to open the third quarter with Sydney going up 11 with 6:55 to go in the term, but it was all the Taipans from there in a remarkable turnaround.

It started with a triple from Cam Oliver before Machado and Oliver scored another bucket apiece. Machado then knocked down the next eight points including a pair of three balls as they went up by four having trailed by 11 only minutes earlier.

Cairns held Sydney scoreless until the dying seconds of the quarter with DJ Vasiljevic hitting a pair of free-throws, but the Taipans still led 57-55 at three quarter-time.

The Taipans lead grew to three with a Ngatai three to start the fourth, and then consecutive buckets to Krslovic and Oliver made it five. 

Machado restored the two-point lead with five and-a-half minutes left and then with a Jawai score inside and Machado three-point play, the Snakes again led 72-70 with three minutes to go.

It set up a frantic finish but unfortunately for the Taipans their only score the rest of the game was one Machado free-throw. Up the other end it was a dagger Shaun Bruce three that proved the game-winner for the Kings.

Cairns will be excited to return home next Sunday to play host to the Adelaide 36ers at the Pop-Up Arena for the first home game since beating the New Zealand Breakers way back on February 8.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 10

CQUNIVERSITY CAIRNS TAIPANS 73 (Machado 21, Krslovic 13, Jawai 12) 

SYDNEY KINGS 75 (Ware 16, Martin 16, Kickert 11, Vasiljevic 11)

BOX SCORE