Round 15: Taipans v Breakers

CQUNIVERSITY CAIRNS TAIPANS V NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
(Spark Arena, 1:00pm)
Watch live on ESPN via Kayo Sports or Foxtel
Watch together at the Reef Hotel Casino

LAST MEETING

Seemed so long ago, but the Taipans have hosted the Breakers twice this season and dropped both games. Despite an incredible Cairns run in the fourth that saw brought them within one point, it was an 82-71 loss in Round 8; and before that the Breakers held the Taipans to just 64 points in Round 4.

LINE-UP

Keanu Pinder remains sidelined, with his new return-to-play date this Friday 20 January, when Cairns hosts Tasmania. Taipans development player Josh Davey has joined the team for this weekend’s gruelling road trip.

Barry Brown is out for the Breakers.

LOOK FOR

An understandably weary Taipans outfit. After finishing the game on Friday night, the team were back at the airport the next morning. Flying from Cairns to Sydney, and Sydney to New Zealand meant they didn’t arrive into Auckland until after 12:00am. The 2:00am hotel check-in will see the team back on court in 12 hours, preparing for a 4:00pm local-time tip-off.

LATEST WORDS

“New Zealand poses a different challenge. They’re wanting to reclaim their second spot back. Them knowing that if they lose to us, we get this two-and-a-half game buffer - is great. That’s what we’re playing for. It adds different elements. New Zealand’s tough and we haven't beaten them yet. Twice we've built a lead and then we lost it down the stretch and we’re going into the joint without Keanu, so we’re going to rely on everybody to step up and get a deserving win,” – Head Coach Adam Forde

“It’s a big boy game coming up. Like Fordey said, it’s perfect timing for us and this group. A really big challenge, the travel and all that - we can make all the excuses we want, but we’re trying to play championship basketball moving down the stretch. It’s really exciting to be playing in meaningful games in January and February, it’s big time,” – Ben Ayre

NEXT HOME GAME – FRIDAY 20 JANUARY, 6:30PM vs JACKJUMPERS. GET TICKETS!