FRIDAY night saw the Cairns Taipans produce one of the biggest upsets of the 2022/23 National Basketball League (NBL) season to date, taking down the Sydney Kings by five points at Qudos Bank Arena.

It was a massive upset that not many pundits saw coming, with the Kings coming into the game in some seriously hot form, and were the favourites to get the job done here. However, it was the Taipans that managed to sneak away with their best win of the season. They overcame a strong start from Sydney, and clawed their way back into the match in the second term and held on in the second half as the Kings threw everything at Cairns in the final minutes of the game.

Apart from a disappointing performance at home against the Wildcats, the Taipans have been excellent to start the season, producing a trio of strong road wins that sent a message to the rest of the competition, with Friday’s the Taipans’ finest to-date.

Sydney Kings (78) def. by Cairns Taipans (83)

The Taipans have revealed themselves as one of the stronger defensive teams of the competition, but faced a tough task with the Kings the best the NBL has to offer. However, it was a sound game plan and execution from the visitors, never letting the Kings to get into their running game in the open court and putting a stop to transition baskets.

Despite shooting worse from the field, it was Cairns’ work from behind the arc that proved to be the difference, with the Taipans making five more triples than the opposition. Shannon Scott (four), Sam Waardenburg, Bul Kuol and D.J. Hogg (two each) all cashed in on some good looks from three-point territory, which was enough to keep Cairns’ score rolling through.

With skipper Tahjere McCall withdrawn from the squad prior to the match, the Taipans would need the rest of their starters to step up, which is exactly what they got. Scott, Keanu Pinder (16 points), Hogg (15 points), Waardenberg (15 points) and Kuol (11 points) all contributed as members of the starting lineup, each playing their role to perfection to cover the loss of McCall as the floor general.

Defensively, the Taipans produced as good a performance as any side this season, putting the clamps on a deep and damaging Kings lineup. They stripped Sydney of possession a whopping 13 times, as Scott and Hogg combined for seven of these. Hogg has become an all-around weapon for the Taipans, delivering another two-way performance on Friday against a quality opposition.

The Taipans’ interior defence was also solid, swatting six shots over the course of the match. Pinder was quite impactful in this area, contributing two blocks for the match as he continues his excellent start to the 2022/23 season.

With an electric style of play that matches up well against just about any side in the competition, the Taipans have shown they are here to play in NBL23, and will be ecstatic with their start to the season as they look to return to finals for the first time since 2019-20.