Taipans’ perfect start continues in NZ
SNAKES alive!
Cairns sit atop the NBL ladder after Round 1 after an impressive 82- 71 victory over New Zealand in Auckland yesterday.
It is only the second time in club history that the Taipans have been on top of the table after the opening round.
The first time they enjoyed such rarefied air so early in a campaign was in 2015 when they qualified for the grand final.
Cairns are 2- 0 to start a season for the fifth time in their existence and have thoroughly earned that record after storming home to beat Illawarra on Friday before turning the screws on the Breakers after halftime at Spark Arena.
Yesterday the Snakes were without man mountain Nate Jawai who was back in Cairns nursing a foot injury.
He will undergo scans today to assess the extent of the damage to the foot he injured late in the second half against the Hawks.
The 2017- 18 squad ticks a lot of boxes — scoring, rebounding, defence, chemistry and depth. But the biggest box ticked is the one for heart. They just do not quit. The Breakers led by 10 points in the second quarter but the Taipans cut the margin to just four points at halftime.
The Taipans went on an 18- 6 run to start the third term to seize control and never looked in danger Import guard Scoochie Smith was the hero for Cairns yesterday with 18 points while Stephen Weigh added 17 points and six boards.