Taipans Produce NYE Miracle to Overrun 36ers

It was only fitting that the last NBL game of 2022 produced a spectacular and thrilling finish with the Cairns Taipans delivering the most remarkable comebacks even without Keanu Pinder to beat the Adelaide 36ers 86-83 at home on New Year's Eve.

The Taipans were playing without their MVP candidate Pinder with an ankle injury and take out the home team's 16-0 run in the second quarter at Cairns Convention Centre, the 36ers appeared in control most of the way.

The Sixers arrived in Far North Queensland on a four-game winning run having now added NBL and NBA champion Ian Clark, and when leading 78-60 after Clark hit a triple midway through the fourth, the game looked done.

Adelaide again led by 16 with five minutes to play when Clark scored again, but nobody told the Snakes the game was over.

The next four minutes almost defied belief. The 36ers forgot how to bring the ball up the floor or to run an offence, thanks to the Taipans pressure in part, and the Snakes delivered an offensive onslaught with 18 straight points in the space of four minutes.

By the time Shannon Scott hit a three with 31 seconds to go, he had 31 points for the game and the Taipans grabbed the lead and went on to score the most incredible of three-point victories finishing the game scoring 22 of the last 25 points.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">DON&#39;T COUNT THE SNAKES OUT YET!!!<br><br>Catch the final moments live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/MqobT86geh">pic.twitter.com/MqobT86geh</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1609141259461087234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Scott had 31 points to go with four rebounds and four assists on 11/15 shooting from the floor and 5/7 from downtown for the Snakes in his best NBL performance.

Tahjere McCall added 19 points and five assists, DJ Hogg 13 points, four rebounds and four assists, Sam Waardenburg 10 points and four boards, and Ben Ayre eight points and three assists as they found a way without Keanu Pinder.

Taipans coach Adam Forde marvelled at the special comeback performance.

"It was pretty special. I mean I burned all my timeouts, burned the last one when we were down 18ish and the rest of it was the guys," Forde said. 

"I'd be lying if I said I did anything special, it was a great crowd tonight. I've got to acknowledge everyone showing up, it was a sell out and the only seats that were empty were the no shows which weren’t a lot.

"We wanted to make sure we brought them back right. Thanks for all the supporters and Cairns people getting around it, and front office for organising it. It was pretty special to give them something to cheer for like they did in those last six minutes."

The Sixers will be left to rue the chance at a fifth straight with Antonius Cleveland finishing with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Ian Clark 15 points in his second game on 3/4 three-point shooting.

Anthony Drmic added 14 points and six rebounds, Daniel Johnson 11 points, and Robert Franks nine points and eight rebounds.

Sixers coach CJ Bruton was understandably 'pissed' afterwards.

"I'm pissed right now, I'm not happy with how our team played out but you're going to win and lose games, and steal games," Bruton said.

"You have to find ways to keep battling and keep your head up. We played not to lose and that's not the way that you play the game of basketball. Clearly Scott was great for them, McCall got going and different things, but let's just keep it PG. 

"They got the better of us and we sort of went backwards. We did have a patch there where we were playing not to lose the game which is unfortunate especially when you lead as long as we did. There's things that you have to learn and keep getting better at."

Adelaide got off to a good start with a triple from Antonius Cleveland and then Kai Sotto took advantage of the size edge the Sixers had by putting up six quick points. Another dunk from Cleveland and three-pointer from Ian Clark had the visitors up 14-7.

Cairns were able to finish the quarter the better from there and by quarter-time it was just a narrow 20-18 edge for Adelaide.

It took less than two minutes of the second quarter for Adam Forde to be seeing red and needing a timeout after a three for the 36ers from Mitch McCarron and finish from Cleveland on a steal.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ian Clark with the second effort play ?<br><br>Follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/dX4hr1mEhx">pic.twitter.com/dX4hr1mEhx</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1609134221028921347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Then soon after the timeout, Cleveland hit from downtown and Daniel Johnson scored inside and Adelaide were in control up 10.

Cairns turned the tide scoring the game's next 16 points that started with a triple from Shannon Scott and he added a second in the middle of the streak to level scores.

Dunks from Tahjere McCall and Sam Waardenburg then helped the Snakes put their lead out to six. The 36ers did steady things and finished the half on an 8-3 run to leave the Taipans clinging to the 41-40 lead.

Precious little separated the teams at the break with both shooting an identical 16/34 with the Taipans going 5/12 from three-point range and the 36ers 5/14. They both had eight turnovers too but it was Scott the star of the half for Cairns with 18 points with four threes.

For the second straight quarter, Adelaide started on fire to open the third. Sotto scored first then Robert Franks' first five points of the game put the 36ers up six with the opening seven points of the half and it was another quick Forde timeout.

Immediately after Cleveland stretched the 36ers lead to eight but then the Snakes did respond and it all started with McCall. He forced a turnover on Franks up one end, then scored on a spectacular play up the other and before long the Taipans were back level.

However, once more the 36ers got going and finished the third quarter with a 13-3 run to take a 64-54 lead into three quarter-time.

That Adelaide lead became 12 to start the fourth and another run of seven straight points soon made it 17 when former Taipan McCarron hit a three.

Adelaide was soon up 18 with a triple from Ian Clark. The game seemed over to everyone bar the Taipans who turned up the defensive intensity and forced the 36ers into turnover after turnover as their offence turned passive and nervous.

The Snakes took full advantage and were able to score the next 18 points of the game to go from 16 down with five minutes to go to leading by two when DJ Hogg scored going to the rim.

Clark steadied Adelaide to end that 18-0 run with a three in the corner but up the other end the Taipans hit back with Scott continuing his night of the season with a fifth three to give the Snakes the lead.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shannon Scott. Point guard or quarterback? ?<br><br>Catch the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL23</a> action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/ZnFgEawsYd">pic.twitter.com/ZnFgEawsYd</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1609121899782770689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ultimately McCall made a free-throw and then Franks missed a tying three for Adelaide and Cairns produced the most remarkable of comeback victories to close 2022.

The Taipans will now begin their 2023 by playing in Wollongong against the Illawarra Hawks on Monday night. The Sixers' first game of the new year will be at home to the Hawks as well on Friday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 13

CAIRNS TAIPANS 86 (Scott 31, McCall 19, Hogg 13)

ADELAIDE 36ERS 83 (Cleveland 16, Clark 15, Drmic 14)

BOX SCORE