Taipans Survive, Thrive Despite Pinder Absence

Cairns rocketed through round 13 with two wins and according to 2010 NBL MVP Corey Williams, it was the Taipans’ “most important round of the whole season”, with superstar Keanu Pinder watching from the sidelines.

The Taipans recorded an epic 18-point comeback against the 36ers and a close win over the Hawks in round 13, with MVP candidate Pinder nursing an ankle injury.

Williams emphasised how vital it was for Cairns to bank those two wins as they make a charge towards the top two.

“Fantastic round, 2 and 0. Without Keanu Pinder, I think this was the most important round in the whole season,” Williams told NBL Overtime.

“They have been flowing, they have been doing their thing, at times it got turbulent, but they figured out a way to steady the ship.

“They’ve got an easy run home, easier than a couple of competitors.”

Overtime host Cam Luke added “if (Cairns) get on a roll and they finish top two, try and stop them making a grand final”.

With Pinder out, guard Shannon Scott has stepped up and impressed with his performances. In the nail-biting 86-83 New Year’s Eve win, Scott scored 31 points.

He followed that up with 18 points and 6 assists in the victory in Illawarra.

NBL analyst Liam Santamaria praised Scott for stepping up and playing a vital role for the Snakes.

“He was unbelievable in that game (against Adelaide), historic win, massive in the context of potentially getting a top two spot, and then they backed it up with the win in Illawarra,” Santamaria said.

“Shannon Scott is the stabilising influence.”

The Taipans play the Brisbane Bullets on Thursday night at 7:30pm AEDT.