FOLLOWING a promising off-season, the Cairns Taipans managed to secure their first win of the 2025/26 National Basketball League (NBL) season, getting the job done by one point in a thrilling win over the Brisbane Bullets.

The two Queensland-based teams came head to head in a big weekend for the state across multiple sports, and it was the Taipans who were under the pump after a disappointing performance in the opening round of the season, suffering a considerable loss at the hands of the SEM Phoenix.

On the other hand, the Bullets were coming off a win, and were looking exciting for their 2025/26 campaign, boasting arguably the best import trio in the competition in Jaylen Adams, Casey Prather and Javon Freeman-Liberty, setting up an entertaining clash at Cairns Convention Centre on Friday night.

Although the Taipans would cough up a 12-point fourth quarter lead, the home side ended up delivering down the stretch to hold on for a thrilling triumph to get on the winners’ list and truly get their campaign underway.

Cairns Taipans (83) def. Brisbane Bullets (82)

The Taipans were slow out of the gates, but steadied as the first quarter rolled on, taking a four-point lead into the first change and building on that work in the second frame. Big off-season recruit Jack McVeigh led the charge after quarter time as Cairns pushed the margin out to double-digits. However, an 8-2 run from the Bullets saw the deficit trimmed to just four points at the main change.

Brisbane’s momentum carried into the third frame as the visitors took the lead after half time, before Cairns debutant and import point guard Andrew Andrews caught fire after missing his first eight shots. His offensive burst across the third and fourth quarters saw the Taipans lead by as much as 12 points with seven minutes on the clock.

The Bullets were not done yet, storming home to remarkably take the lead with less than two minutes to play in a dramatic finish. Again it was McVeigh who stepped up for the Taipans with a clutch triple to retake the lead, before a controversial jump ball decision gave the Bullets one last possession with 10 seconds on the clock. However, Freeman-Liberty’s go-ahead floater was blocked as the Taipans held on for a thriller.

McVeigh was one of the biggest recruits of the NBL offseason, and justified his price tag with 19 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and the game winner in an excellent display from the former Houston Rocket who was the defining factor. Admiral Schofield had 19 points of his own, while Andrews finished with an important eight points.

For the Bullets, big man Tyrell Harrison was a dominant force in the paint, taking advantage of Marcus Lee‘s foul trouble to finish with 22 points and seven boards, while Freeman-Liberty posted 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Prather had 18 points, four boards and four assists.

Unfortunately, the Bullets shot just 2/19 from behind the charity stripe, and that level of inaccuracy proved costly on the night and the Taipans were able to capitalise in a Friday night thriller.