DESPITE sitting at the bottom of the table, the Cairns Taipans may have found their bunny in the National Basketball League (NBL) this season after defeating the ladder-leading Illawarra Hawks by six points to open Round 18 on Thursday night.

Coming into the clash at the Cairns Convention Centre, the standings would say it was shaping to be a one-sided affair. However, the home side had produced a stunning boilover just weeks before, ending their 15-game losing streak and knocking off the title favourites in dramatic fashion.

To make things more intriguing, Cairns held home court advantage this time around, but did suffer the pregame loss of star point guard Taran Armstrong to injury. The Tassie product is crucial for the Taipans’ success given how well he controls the offensive side of things, and would be sorely missed.

However, despite missing a key piece, the Taipans were dominant throughout their clash against the top of the table Hawks, and held on for another vital win.

Cairns Taipans (100) def. Illawarra Hawks (94)

It was the first quarter that set up Cairns’ win, with the Taipans storming out of the gates in the opening 10 minutes of the match. It was a case of simply outplaying the Hawks, with the hosts showing more hustle, heart and desire to win. At the first change, the Taipans led by 14 points in a stunning start to the match.

Although the Hawks were clearly more productive in the second quarter, they simply could not match the output of the Taipans, leading by as much as 21 points and holding a 17-point buffer at the main break in a result that not many would have predicted.

The third quarter was the biggest shift for Illawarra, finally finding its groove on the offensive end while also putting an end to Cairns’ high-scoring ways. A serious half time spray from Justin Tatum must have shot some life into the visitors, but the deficit was cut to just seven points thanks to a flurry of three-pointers in the third quarter.

A triple to Tyler Harvey saw the Hawks draw within four, but Cairns responded with a 7-0 run to get its buffer back out to double-digits. The teams went back and forth, but every time the Hawks drew within a single point, the Taipans answered, closing the deal at the free throw line for another almighty win, despite being eliminated from finals contention.

Despite fouling out in the final minutes, Rob Edwards was immense for the victors, posting a game-high 22 points on 8/13 shooting from the field to go with four rebounds, while Sam Waardenburg (18 points, six rebounds) and Pedro Bradshaw (17 points, eight rebounds, five assists) also played crucial roles.

For the Hawks, veteran Todd Blanchfield was the spark that helped the team get back into the contest, leading the way with 17 points and knocking down five triples off the bench.