VETERAN guard Nathan Sobey produced his second outstanding individual performance of the round as the Brisbane Bullets fell to the Cairns Taipans in thrilling fashion at Nissan Arena on Saturday night.

In a highly anticipated battle between the two Queensland sides of the National Basketball League (NBL), both sides had been in reasonably strong form to start the season. The Bullets were coming into the game fresh off a road win over the Breakers earlier in the round, completing one of the toughest tasks in the league, while the Taipans had successfully defended home court against the Phoenix. Both results combined to make this a tough game to tip, with plenty of star power on either side.

The Taipans got off to a hot start, with Brisbane suddenly trailing by eight points at the first change. Although it was an improved effort from the Bullets in the second term, the home side still trailed by five points at the main break.

Things went from bad to worse coming out of half time, with star Brisbane big man Aron Baynes ejected due to an altercation with Cairns player Lat Mayen and coach Adam Forde. It made the comeback even more unlikely for the Bullets, but the home side rallied with a terrific final term. The Bullets had the chance to tie the game in the closing seconds of the match, but Isaac White‘s three-point attempt was wayward, with Cairns claiming an 89-86 win.

After leading the Bullets past the Breakers earlier in the round, Brisbane captain Sobey did all he could to get his side over the line again.

Brisbane Bullets (86) def. by Cairns Taipans (89)

Nathan Sobey – 31 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal

Sobey was at his high-scoring best against the Taipans, proving the go-to option on the offensive end and almost dragging his side over the line in a thriller.

The addition of Shannon Scott over the off-season has allowed Sobey to return to more of a scoring role in comparison to last campaign, where he combined with Jason Cadee in a combo-guard pairing that was unsuccessful.

With more reign to shoot the ball now and less pressure to set up teammates, the experienced guard has been at his best to start the season. He plays with excellent pace and seemingly always gets into scoring positions in one way or another.

Although his accuracy was not the best (8/22 from the field), Sobey always looked dangerous. His ability to score at all three levels makes him a consistent threat to put up a high-percentage shot.

He did his best work at the free throw line, driving inside to draw plenty of contact from the Taipans defenders. Sobey went a perfect 12/12 from the charity stripe, which was crucial in not only keeping Brisbane in the contest, but slowing down the clock as well.

The 33-year-old has launched himself to the top of the scoring list after a pair of blistering performances in Round 2, and still has plenty left in the tank for the upcoming season.