IT was a troublesome weekend for the Cairns Taipans at times, but the team did manage to claim one win from its two outings, largely thanks to the heroics of Tahjere McCall.

McCall and the Taipans fell to the reigning champions on Thursday night in a game that was played without a shot clock in the second half. However, they bounced back with a gritty win over the Adelaide 36ers on Saturday night in a high-scoring affair at Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

It was the 36ers first game following the departure of CJ Bruton as head coach, while the Taipans were still reeling from their three-point loss at the hands of the Kings just two days earlier. Both teams were looking to bounce back, but it was the Taipans that managed to do enough in a game that had plenty of offence.

Cairns broke away in the fourth quarter to outscore the home side 31-17 to snag a 15-point win and continue its resurgence in terms of offensive production. With a clean bill of health, the Taipans have been able to post big scores against a number of sides, and that trend continued on Saturday night.

One of the biggest factors of the match was the performance of McCall, who put himself in the history books with a marvellous outing.

Adelaide 36ers (101) def. by Cairns Taipans (116)

Tahjere McCall – 19 points, four rebounds, 15 assists, four steals

The numbers produced by McCall have never been seen before, with the guard becoming the first player to record at least 15 points and 15 assists in the 40-minute era of the NBL.

He shot 6/12 from the field and did most of his work from driving to the lane or pulling up from mid-range, although McCall did nail his sole three-point attempt. Having led the Taipans with his scoring ability for several seasons now, the team knows he can have scoring performances of this calibre.

As mentioned above, the Taipans are hitting the court near full-strength, and as a playmaker, McCall has plenty of scoring options. He is an elite passer and combined well with the likes of Patrick Miller and Bobi Klintman to keep the team’s offence ticking over.

Defensively, he has stepped up his output in recent weeks, and recorded four steals for the second time in Round 10, making life difficult for Adelaide’s playmakers.

McCall single-handedly orchestrated the Taipans’ offence and helped get the team to a winning score with both his scoring and passing.