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Cairns Taipans grind out gritty pre-season win over Brisbane as new imports find form
In a physical, low-scoring affair at Early Settler Stadium, the Taipans' new-look roster showed defensive grit but still has offensive question marks ahead of NBL25.
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The Cairns Taipans notched their second pre-season victory this week, taking down the Brisbane Bullets 78-71 at Early Settler Stadium in front of a crowd of 2,400 on Saturday night.
It was a game defined by defensive intensity and fractured offense. The Taipans forced 18 turnovers and held Brisbane to 39 percent shooting from the field, but the home side shot just 28 percent from three-point range and committed 14 turnovers of their own.
The win comes just three days after the Taipans opened their pre-season campaign with a 94-88 loss to the Adelaide 36ers in Townsville. The split result leaves the team at 1-1 in exhibition play as head coach Adam Forde continues to tinker with rotations and pairings among his new import trio.
New imports begin to mesh
American guard Darius McGhee led the Taipans with 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting, adding four assists and three steals in 28 minutes. The 24-year-old, who joined Cairns after stints in the NBA G League with the Delaware Blue Coats, flashed the explosive scoring ability that made him a standout at Liberty University, though he hit just 1-of-6 from deep.
Fellow import forward Sam Waardenburg, a 6-foot-10 New Zealander who spent last season with the New Zealand Breakers, contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Waardenburg's versatility was on display as he guarded both bigs on the perimeter and provided help defense at the rim.
The third import, 6-foot-7 swingman Terry Roberts, added 11 points off the bench but struggled with efficiency, shooting 4-of-12 from the floor. Roberts, who played college ball at Iowa and Georgia, committed four turnovers.
The trio combined for 45 of the Taipans' 78 points, a promising but uneven start for a group that will be asked to carry much of the scoring load this NBL season.
Defensive identity emerging, but offense remains a work in progress
The Taipans' defensive effort was the story of the night. Cairns held the Bullets to just 13 points in the second quarter, building a 42-31 halftime lead. Brisbane clawed back to within three points late in the fourth, but a McGhee steal-and-score and a pair of free throws from guard Taran Armstrong sealed the result.
Armstrong, the 22-year-old Cairns-born point guard who returned to the Taipans this season after a breakout campaign with the Tasmania JackJumpers, finished with eight points, seven assists and three steals. His ability to orchestrate the offense while pressuring the ball defensively gives Forde a reliable floor general-something the Taipans lacked at times last season.
The Taipans shot just 42 percent from the field overall and 24 percent from three, numbers that will need to improve before the regular season tips off in late September. Free-throw shooting was also a concern: Cairns hit 14 of 22 from the line, a 63.6 percent clip that left points on the board.
Next up for the Taipans is a road clash against the Sydney Kings at Qudos Bank Arena on July 18, followed by a home-and-home series with the Illawarra Hawks. The regular season opener is scheduled for September 27 against the Perth Wildcats at RAC Arena. With roster spots still in flux and chemistry developing, Forde has less than 11 weeks to sharpen a team that has shown it can defend but must find offensive rhythm.