DOUBLEHEADER TO TEST THE TAIPANS
CAIRNS coach Adam Forde has called it a coach’s dream.
The two best teams in the NBL, on home soil, in what is arguably the biggest weekend in recent Taipans history, and at the perfect time of the season
On Friday, the third-placed Taipans hosted second-placed New Zealand Breakers, before ladder leaders Sydney Kings come to town on Monday night.
It is arguably the toughest challenge in the NBL, but Forde said it would provide a true reflection of how this team was performing.
Which is exactly what Forde wants, after guiding the team to a 6-3 record.
“Championships aren’t won in November, so there are positives to winning and losing,” Forde said.
“If we go 2-0 then it is new territory – we have to navigate what it is like to potentially be the hunted.
“But then on the flip side, if we go 0-2 then it resets our focus and helps realign what our goal and focus is.”
Friday night’s clash featured two of the strongest defensive sides in the competition.
The last time the Breakers came to Cairns they ran out winners by four points in a game Taipans players and staff believe they should have won.
In that round-four clash, Cairns held the Breakers to just five points in the first term but struggled on the offensive end – which ultimately cost them the game.
Forde said they learnt a lot from that game alone.
“Defensively we were great, there won’t be too many games where we only score 64 points,” Forde said.
“We will work at getting a little more freedom on the offensive end.
“We are working hard to make sure we don’t repeat those types of mistakes.”
Monday night will feature the return of former Taipan Kouat Noi in his first game in Cairns since joining the Kings.
Noi was the heartbreaker last time the two teams met in Sydney, the forward hitting a three with two seconds left to help the Kings run out winners by three points.
“They are solid, they don’t try and mix it up too much,” Forde said of the Kings.
“They know what they are good at and do a lot of it.”
The Taipans have played twice already against the Kings, walking away one win a piece.