CQUniversity Cairns Taipans v Sydney Kings
(Qudos Bank Arena, 1:00pm AEST)
Watch together at the  Reef Hotel Casino
Watch LIVE on ESPN (Kayo Freebies)

LAST MEETING

Will be a game that will be referenced for years to come. The Taipans made hisstory, by registering their first ever post-season win over the Kings. It was also the first game this year, that any team has defeated the reigning Champions and led from start to finish, with a 93-82 victory forcing game three. DJ Hogg top-scored for Cairns (25 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) while Sam Waardenburg was again impressive with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

LOOK FOR

Another fiery affair. Game two was full of drama, with Sydney’s coach Chase Buford later charged with disparaging remarks about an official as well as for conduct that led to his ejection. Tim Soares was also charged with striking Sam Waardenburg, with both accepting fines for an early guilty plea.

LINE-UP

Tahjere McCall made his anticipated return on Friday (20 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals) but Shannon Scott did not hit the floor due to hamstring soreness. Taipans coach Adam Forde exercised a shorter rotation on Friday - using just seven players in the win over Sydney. Keanu Pinder (eye) will be on the bench but unavailable for the foreseeable future. 

LATEST WORDS

“It was amazing, it was electric. I’ve got to thank Cairns Regional Council, they really got behind us this week when we got back, they did media, they drove it. We’ve got our logo around the city, we’ve got the logos at the lagoon on the fish. It was loud, they rode every possession. I said it yesterday, and I’ll say it again today - it’s really fun, because they deserve it. They stick around afterwards, they want signatures, high fives, and they really appreciate good basketball. That’s what we’re trying to deliver for them,” - Adam Forde on the Orange Army and Cairns support 

“That’s the problem with the schedule - trying to jam in all these games before the FIBA break. With the flight, there were concerns, we got an MRI. There were some things he could potentially play through, but it was one of those situations where he didn’t feel confident in it, it could become worse. So we trusted the group to extend this out, and we’ll see how he goes and pulls up. The way the guys got going early, it was one of those situations where I felt pretty confident that I could sit him out and potentially preserve him for game three,” - Adam Forde on Shannon Scott