THE FINAL preseason hitout ahead of the NBL Blitz saw the Brisbane Bullets claim their first exhibition win over the Cairns Taipans, getting the job done by eight points when the two sides went head to head at Cairns Basketball Stadium on Sunday.

The Taipans were unfortunately missing two of their big offseason recruits in Jack McVeigh and Reyne Smith, both of whom were rested for the clash, still recovering from a gold medal winning campaign at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup with the Australian Boomers.

On the other hand, the Bullets have been even busier over the off-season, bringing back staples in Casey Prather and Tyrell Harrison, while acquiring former NBL MVP Jaylen Adams as well as bringing in some NBA experience in Aussie Alex Ducas and Javon Freeman-Liberty, making them one of the most stacked rosters in the competition.

Although it was not quite a true look at how they would perform, the Bullets still showed that they could be in for a massive 2025/26 campaign, getting the better of the Taipans in a Queensland clash to close out the weekend.

Cairns Taipans (84) def. by Brisbane Bullets (92)

The Bullets got off to an excellent start, posting the first seven points of the match in a blistering opening to the game, putting the Taipans on the back foot. It set the tone for the remainder of the quarter, with Brisbane looking potent on the offensive end to lead by 10 points in a cracking start to the contest from the championship hopeful.

The Taipans returned serve in a tremendous response in the second quarter, looking a different team and erasing the margin in the final six minutes of the quarter, thanks to some improved three-point shooting. The home side nailed some bombs to close out the half, and at the main change it was Cairns holding a one-point lead, courtesy of a remarkable fightback.

In a high-scoring third frame, there was a contrast in the way the two teams wanted to play, with the Taipans looking to strike from long-range, while the Bullets were pushing the ball into the paint and looking to score inside. Cairns benefited from some tough shotmaking while the visitors used pick and roll plays to free up their players near the basket, and at the final change, the Bullets had done enough to hold a two-point margin.

The Bullets took over in the fourth quarter, owning the first five minutes of play and putting a stop to the Taipans reliance on three-pointers. Brisbane’s ability to draw contact and convert at the charity stripe was immense in the context of the match, and allowed it to build a nine-point lead in the first half of the final frame. The Taipans simply lacked an answer down the other end, and ended up falling by eight points.

Freeman-Liberty looked every bit the exciting recruit he promised to be, dropping an equal team-high 17 points in a terrific scoring performance, shooting 6/9 from the field. Prather was also impressive with 17 points of his own in another indicator he is going to be one of the most electric scorers in the competition.

For the Taipans, NBL1 star Kody Stattmann was excellent despite the loss, showing plenty of promise off the bench and showing that he could be a scoring option for the upcoming season. He finished the match with a game-high 20 points, nailing eight of his 14 attempts from the field in a strong showing for Cairns.