Taipans fight hard in Sydney against United

The CQUniversity Cairns Taipans were always up against it minus five key players up against the league-leading Melbourne United who happen to double as the deepest team in the NBL, and the Snakes battled hard but couldn’t quite keep pace.

The effort and fighting abilities of the Taipans once again couldn’t be questions in the game played at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena in front of no crowd, but missing a virtual whole starting five up against a deep team needing to win to stay top spot proved a bridge too far.

The Snakes were coming off the high of the remarkable come from behind victory on Friday night in their last home game of the season at Cairns Pop-Up Arena against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

They lost another body for the game in Sydney, though, with Venky Jois joining Mojave King, Kouat Noi, Cam Oliver and Fabijan Krslovic on the list of players unavailable giving the Snakes just the nine bodies for coach Mike Kelly to use up against Melbourne.

United went on to win the game 101-76 on the back of shooting 16/30 at 53 per cent from three-point territory as they continue to hold onto top spot on the NBL ladder ahead of their trip to Perth.

The Taipans, though, never stopped competing on Monday night in Sydney with all nine players who hit the floor playing at least 10 minutes and making a contribution.

Mirko Djeric continued his hot shooting from Friday night with another 16 points and three assists while hitting 4/7 from three-point land.

Majok Deng produced another 13 points, two rebounds and two blocks for Cairns while Tad Dufelmeier produced 13 points and five rebounds, Scott Machado 10 points and three assists, and Nate Jawai 10 points and six boards.

George Blagojevic also put up six points and five rebounds, Jordan Hunt five points and two boards, and Jordan Ngatai three points and two rebounds.

Taipans coach Mike Kelly wasn’t interested in excuses post-match, he just felt Melbourne were too good on the night.

"Shoot, we get to play basketball and it's been a season of ups and downs, and of getting through adversity like every team," Kelly said. 

"Then not having Mojave and Venky not coming on the trip has added to that, but it was a chance to play basketball and make your own fun out there. But they are a really good team. 

"I didn’t feel bad about having to come play the game and I don't think the boys did either, but we feel bad about how we finished the game."

It wasn’t the ideal start for Cairns with Melbourne racing to an 11-2 start before the Taipans steadied courtesy of Nate Jawai and Mirko Djeric.

However, United still led 29-13 by quarter-time and that stretched 33-13 early in the second before the Snakes went on a 7-0 run including a Scott Machado three-pointer. 

Jordan Hunt knocked down a triple as well soon after for Cairns before a couple of Jawai buckets heading towards half-time, and a Mirko Djeric three ball that helped keep Melbourne's lead at 13 by half-time.

Despite Melbourne starting the second half with the opening seven points, Cairns responded with the next five including a three ball from Jordan Ngatai. The Taipans then went on another six quick points but by three quarter-time United's lead had grown to 22 points.

Cairns continued to show fight, though, opening the fourth term with three-pointers to Djeric and Tad Dufelmeier. The Snakes then went on an 8-0 run late in the game even though Melbourne ran out victorious 101-76.

The Taipans will now finish their NBL season on Wednesday on the road to the New Zealand Breakers with the Kiwis in the Snakes squad Jordan Ngatai, Jarrod Kenny and Jordan Hunt getting to experience their first homecoming so far in all of 2021.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 20

CQUNIVERSITY CAIRNS TAIPANS 76 (Djeric 16, Deng 13, Dufelmeier 13) 

MELBOURNE UNITED 101 (Landale 19, Hopson 18, Barlow 16)

BOX SCORE