Round 13: Taipans produce NYE miracle comeback

CQUniversity Cairns Taipans (86) def. Adelaide 36ers (83)
Round 13 | Cairns Convention Centre
Next Game: Taipans at Hawks, Monday 2 January 6:30pm AEST

SUMMARY
It was only fitting that the last NBL game of 2022 produced a spectacular and thrilling finish with the CQUniversity Cairns Taipans producing the most remarkable comebacks even without Keanu Pinder to beat the Adelaide 36ers 86-83 at home on New Year's Eve.

The Taipans were playing without their MVP candidate Pinder with an ankle injury and take out the home team's 16-0 run in the second quarter at Cairns Convention Centre, the 36ers appeared in control most of the way including by 18 in the fourth.

Adelaide led by 16 with five minutes to play when Ian Clark scored again, but nobody told the Snakes the game was over.

The next four minutes almost defied belief. The 36ers forgot how to bring the ball up the floor or to run an offence, thanks to the Taipans pressure in part, and the Snakes delivered an offensive onslaught with 18 straight points in the space of four minutes.

By the time Shannon Scott hit a three with 31 seconds to go, he had 31 points for the game and the Taipans grabbed the lead and went on to score the most incredible of three-point victories finishing the game scoring 22 of the last 25 points.

Cairns were able to finish the opening quarter the better after a slow start and by quarter-time it was just a narrow 20-18 edge for Adelaide.

It took less than two minutes of the second quarter for Adam Forde to be seeing red and needing a timeout after a three for the 36ers from Mitch McCarron and finish from Antonius Cleveland on a steal.

Then soon after the timeout, Cleveland hit from downtown and Daniel Johnson scored inside and Adelaide were in control up 10.

Cairns turned the tide scoring the game's next 16 points that started with a triple from Scott and he added a second in the middle of the streak to level scores.

Dunks from McCall and Waardenburg then helped the Snakes put their lead out to six. The 36ers did steady things and finished the half on an 8-3 run to leave the Taipans clinging to the 41-40 lead.

For the second straight quarter, Adelaide started on fire to open the third. The 36ers led by eight but the Snakes did respond and it all started with McCall. He forced a turnover on Franks up one end, then scored on a spectacular play up the other and before long the Taipans were back level.

However, once more the 36ers got going and finished the third quarter with a 13-3 run to take a 64-54 lead into three quarter-time.

That Adelaide lead became 12 to start the fourth and another run of seven straight points soon made it 17 when former Taipan McCarron hit a three.

Adelaide was soon up 18 with a triple from Ian Clark. The game seemed over to everyone bar the Taipans who turned up the defensive intensity and forced the 36ers into turnover after turnover as their offence turned passive and nervous.

The Snakes took full advantage and were able to score the next 18 points of the game to go from 16 down with five minutes to go to leading by two when DJ Hogg scored going to the rim.

Clark steadied Adelaide to end that 18-0 run with a three in the corner but up the other end the Taipans hit back with Scott continuing his night of the season with a fifth three to give the Snakes the lead.

Ultimately McCall made a free-throw and then Franks missed a tying three for Adelaide and Cairns produced the most remarkable of comeback victories to close 2022.

STATISTICS 
Precious little separated the teams at the break with both shooting an identical 16/34 with the Taipans going 5/12 from three-point range and the 36ers 5/14. 

They both had eight turnovers too but it was Shannon Scott the star of the half for Cairns with 18 points with four threes.

Scott had 31 points to go with four rebounds and four assists on 11/15 shooting from the floor and 5/7 from downtown for the Snakes in his best NBL performance.

Tahjere McCall added 19 points and five assists, DJ Hogg 13 points, four rebounds and four assists, Sam Waardenburg 10 points and four boards, and Ben Ayre eight points and three assists as they found a way without Keanu Pinder.

Majok Deng also scored three points with Bul Kuol finishing with two points and four rebounds, and Josh Davey collected five boards in 12 minutes.

STATEMENTS
Head Coach Adam Forde: 

"It was pretty special. I mean I burned all my timeouts, burned the last one when we were down 18ish and the rest of it was the guys. I'd be lying if I said I did anything special, it was a great crowd tonight. I've got to acknowledge everyone showing up, it was a sell out and the only seats that were empty were the no shows which weren’t a lot. We wanted to make sure we brought them back right. Thanks for all the supporters and Cairns people getting around it, and front office for organising it. It was pretty special to give them something to cheer for like they did in those last six minutes."

Taipans Forward DJ Hogg:

"Of course when you get fouls early it's a little frustrating but the biggest thing is just staying mentally focused to cheer on your team, and staying a part of the game versus sulking on the bench. Then in the fourth quarter I don’t know, we were down big and I just remember everybody in the huddle saying we've still got time and could do this. Let's just put some stops together and chip away at it so we started chipping away at it, and getting steals and making shots and taking charges, and hitting threes. Before you know it we're up one or two and you can just hear the crowd going crazy. It felt real good."