The Cairns Taipans defeated the Sydney Kings 94–88 in a thrilling match that had fans on the edge of their seats. Cairns sought revenge for earlier season loss, but Kings weren’t going to give up their league record of seventeen consecutive wins at the Cairns Convention Centre.

In the final minutes of the game, the visiting Kings began to pull ahead, looking like they’re in the position to finish the game as winners.

However, Cairns made a late push and managed to tie the game up with mere seconds remaining and kept the momentum going in overtime to win by a 6 point margin.

The game started competitively, while Sydney took a narrow 1-point lead at the end of the first quarter. The Taipans fought back in the second quarter to gain a 2-point advantage.

The Kings took control of the match during the third half with the help of their captain Xavier Cooks who returned from injury, along with Angus Glover and Derrick Walton who were tremendous alongside Cooks. By the end of the third, the Kings took a solid 10-point lead, which looked like another easy victory for Sydney.

Cairns came out on the court with a different strategy in the fourth quarter as the game was close with the Taipans trailing by 3 points. DJ Hogg’s heroic performance ensured that Cairns did not disappoint their home crowd by hitting the clutch 3 pointer to tie the game with 6 seconds left. 

In overtime, the home team started the game with all of its momentum with their fans right behind them. They outplayed Sydney from the beginning of overtime through excellent teamwork to secure a comfortable win at the end.

Keanu Pinder was player of the game with 30 points and 13 rebounds.

Despite his earlier struggles, Hogg provided 20 points to help the team tie this game with less than 40 seconds left in regulation. He alone scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including last moment two back-to-back three-pointers. 

Xavier Cooks return from an ankle injury showed what the Kings missed out on as he scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and had 1 assist. Despite Sydney’s eight-point lead in the fourth term, they failed to hold their nerve when Cooks was fouled out with 3:37 remaining and eventually lost the game to Cairns.

In the post-game press interview, the Sydney Head Coach Chase Buford pointed out that both teams played well, but the Taipans made the big plays when it mattered most. With the game going into overtime, Taipans coach Adam Forde was confident his players would step up and gain momentum.

With this recent loss by Sydney, the New Zealand Breakers have earned the top spot on the ladder and the victory for Cairns means they solidify the third spot. 

Sydney and Cairns will be playing the Adelaide 36ers in the upcoming game week. Adelaide will host the Taipans, while Sydney will host the 36ers at the Qudos Bank Arena.