Snakes deliver brave NYE fight against Wildcats

The remarkably shorthanded CQUniversity Cairns Taipans delivered a start for the ages to lead the Perth Wildcats by 18 points on New Year's Eve, but the 'Cats overpowered them in the finish at the Cairns Convention Centre.

Already knowing Mirko Djeric and Scott Machado were unavailable through injury, the Taipans lost star import Tahjere McCall after he slipped and injured a knee during the game day Shootaround.

That threw all plans for the game into chaos for coach Adam Forde and the Taipans, but they sure weren’t rattled about that and put forward a stunning opening against the ladder-leading Wildcats.

The Snakes scored the opening 13 points of the game, led by as much as 18 points in the first quarter and had the visitors well and truly rattled.

However, they had plenty of star power and with Bryce Cotton scoring all his 29 points in the second and third quarters, Perth worked their way on top before winning 84-78 but the positives were virtually endless for the undermanned Snakes.

Majok Deng continued his run of career-best form for the Taipans setting another benchmark with 27 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks on 11/18 shooting.

Bul Kuol not only ran the point as a rookie but guarded Cotton a lot of the night for Cairns and finished with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists with Stephen Zimmerman contributing 12 points and eight boards, and Keanu Pinder eight points and six rebounds.

Kouat Noi finished with six points, five rebounds and four assists, Jarrod Kenny six points and four assists, Nate Jawai four points and new signing Marshall Nelon two to go with two rebounds.

Taipans coach Adam Forde obviously never likes to lose, but was proud of the effort of his group under all the circumstances.

"I don’t usually do a post-game chat with the boys, but I did tonight because I just had to tell them how proud I was of them," Forde said.

"We made some errors but there were also lots of things we spliced in at short notice knowing that we had Tahj out. A couple of times we missed switching up onto Cotton and missed switching onto Vic Law and he had two back-to-back uncontested threes which hurt us. 

"But I can't fault their effort. They played hard and we are battered and bruised, and they just gave me everything so how can I be upset about that."

The Taipans weren’t interested in feeling sorry for themselves over who wasn’t suited up for the New Year's Eve clash, instead those on the floor delivered the most incredible of starts against the league-leaders.

Frustrating and pressuring the Wildcats into turnovers and poor shots up one end, the Snakes took full advantage up the other scoring the game's opening 13 points in a remarkable first three and-a-half minutes.

It started with a Stephen Zimmerman inside bucket before a Bul Kuol three-point play, Keanu Pinder breakaway dunk and then a couple of Majok Deng baskets, and two free-throws to Kuol.

When Zimmerman and Deng scored again, the lead was a stunning 17-2 and 23-5 with the Snakes still up 25-11 by quarter-time.

The Wildcats were always going to fire back and that did happen during the second quarter with their superstar Bryce Cotton leading the charge with 19 individual points, but the Snakes held firm.

Cairns ended the half on a high with a Kuol three before a Zimmerman deflection on Perth's inbounds pass led to a layup for Deng and the Snakes went into the break up 47-44.

Deng then went up to 18 points for the night when he scored first to open the second half for Cairns, and he would soon keep the Snakes to a 59-54 edge midway through the third quarter.

Even though Perth ended up leading 68-66 by three quarter-time, a desperation three from Jarrod Kenny and a couple of nice inside buckets from Nate Jawai kept the Taipans close enough.

When Kuol hit a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter, the margin was back to a point but that would be as close as the Snakes got even though they never stopped fighting and still had a chance to make it a one possession game in the final seconds.

The Taipans will remain at home now for the next week before hosting the South East Melbourne Phoenix back at the Cairns Convention Centre next Saturday night to open up 2022.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 5

CQUNIVERSITY CAIRNS TAIPANS 78 (Deng 27, Kuol 13, Zimmerman 12)

PERTH WILDCATS 84 (Cotton 29, Law 17, Travers 10) 

BOX SCORE