Snakes alive: Rucker warns Taipans are about to strike

Less than a week ago, Adam Forde admitted his Taipans were "not in a good spot". They were reeling from consecutive losses and still searching for their rhythm.

It wasn't the start anyone expected from a club that invested heavily in talent across the off-season and promised plenty. The pressure was on the coach.

On Saturday night, it looked like a familiar tale. The Taipans trailed Melbourne United by 12 in the third quarter and were still down nine at the final break.

Then they flicked a switch. Cairns scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter, piled on 35 for the term and held United to just 14, running out 107–95 winners at John Cain Arena.

Jaylon Brown was at the heart of it. After managing just six points on 1/9 shooting through three quarters, he came alive with 14 in the fourth.

The heat was on the Taipans heading into the game, but things can change quickly in this League, and Derek Rucker believes they could be about to make a run.

"When they get all those guys back and Adam Forde figures out how to craft that lineup and get his substitutions and rotations right, they are going to be very dangerous," Rucker said on Moments That Mattered, presented by Mitsubishi Motors.

"Especially if this is what Jaylon Brown is going to start to look like."

Reinforcements aren't too far away for Forde and his team. Next Star Luke Paul is set to make his NBL debut against Brisbane on Thursday night, while star off-season signing Jaylin Galloway is targeting a return in Round 6.

In the meantime, Rucker said Saturday's win showed what the Taipans are capable of.

"Jaylon Brown finally broke through with a performance and showed a lot of individual brilliance in that fourth quarter," he said.

"Look, the Taipans are capable of doing that if they have focus, if they play with the proper purpose on the offensive end, but it was a huge upset and one that really stunned that Melbourne crowd."

The 1990 MVP also tipped 27-point top-scorer Keanu Pinder as a "huge X-factor" for the Taipans.

He had plenty of help too, with Reyne Smith adding 21 points on 5/10 from deep and Jack McVeigh chipping in with 20 points and three steals.

It was a promising sign from McVeigh too, who is yet to hit his best this season.

For Forde, the win was a sign his group is heading in the right direction.

"This is not a team that will operate through fear and then we find ourselves down 12, the emotions are heightened and this is where you respond," he said.

"This time we capitalised on the offensive end and it's building blocks."

The Taipans host the Brisbane Bullets in Cairns on Thursday night from 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.