Pinder stars, but Taipans fall to Kings

Keanu Pinder produced a brilliant performance in his return to the Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans, but the Taipans were unable to complete the job against the Sydney Kings, falling 111-90 at Afterpay Arena on Sunday.

Playing his first game back in orange since 2023, Pinder made an immediate impact with a game-high 27 points, five rebounds and four assists to lead the way for Cairns.

There were also encouraging signs from several new faces. Former NBL Next Star Malique Lewis finished with 13 points and five rebounds in his first game for the club, while Jaylon Brown impressed on NBL debut with 11 points and six assists.

Former King Shaun Bruce added 13 points against his old side, while Jonah Bolden was a strong presence on the glass with a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Taipans made an aggressive start against the reigning champions, with Pinder scoring seven early points as Cairns jumped out to a 14-8 lead.

Brown opened his NBL career in style, finding Pinder with a perfectly placed lob for a three-point play, while Jack McVeigh knocked down an early triple as the Taipans settled quickly into the contest.

Sydney responded through Kendric Davis and Makuach Maluach before a Tyler Robertson three-pointer on the quarter-time buzzer gave the hosts a 32-26 advantage.

Pinder continued to cause problems in the second quarter, but foul trouble began to mount for the Taipans, with Kyrin Galloway picking up three early fouls and Brown, Bruce and Pinder each carrying two.

The Kings took advantage to push their lead out to 14 points at 57-43, before Cairns produced an impressive response late in the half.

Pinder scored inside before Lewis connected from deep, Brown added a jumper and Bolden knocked down a three-pointer as the Taipans closed the half on a 10-2 run.

The late surge reduced Sydney's advantage to just six points at the main break, with Cairns firmly in the contest at 59-53.

The Kings regained control after half-time, however, with their outside shooting proving difficult to contain.

Three-pointers from Matthew Dellavedova, Davis and Maluach helped Sydney rebuild a double-digit advantage, while Pinder's impact was restricted as he managed foul trouble.

Bruce provided a spark for the Taipans with a pair of triples against his former club, but Sydney continued to connect from beyond the arc and took a 90-73 advantage into the final quarter.

Pinder continued to attack the basket and lead the Cairns offence in the final term, but the Taipans couldn't find the run they needed to close the gap as the Kings secured the 111-90 victory.

Davis led Sydney with 26 points, six assists and five rebounds, while Xavier Cooks finished with 18 points and seven rebounds as six Kings players reached double figures.

For the Taipans, attention now quickly turns home.

Cairns will play in front of the adoring home fans for the first time this season on Wednesday night, hosting the Tasmania JackJumpers at the Cairns Convention Centre - grab your tickets HERE.

‍

SYDNEY KINGS 111 (Davis 26, Cooks 18, Craig 13) def CAIRNS TAIPANS 90 (Pinder 27, Bruce 13, Lewis 13) at Afterpay Arena, Sydney.

BOX SCORE