Sixers just come up short to the Taipans

The Adelaide 36ers did a lot right in Cairns on Wednesday night but that will make it all the more frustrating as they now head to Melbourne for another Round 14 road game against the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

The Sixers deserved to be feeling good about their form heading to Cairns on Wednesday night on the back of impressive home wins the last two weeks against the Illawarra Hawks and Perth Wildcats.

Sure, the 36ers were still without Isaac Humphries and Tony Crocker but the Taipans were minus Scott Machado, Kouat Noi and Majok Deng so neither team had any excuses.

The Sixers started the game well leading 26-17 by quarter-time before starting the second term on a 10-3 run to take a 16-point advantage. They were still three up by half-time and then another 10-0 run in the third quarter had the margin back out to 11.

But the Taipans kept on fighting and in the end they turned the heat back on the 36ers to respond when they led 87-80 with 1:30 to go in the game.

The 36ers didn’t surrender with Jack McVeigh scoring and then Sunday Dech did the same after a steal to make it a three-point game with 19 seconds left. McVeigh then made it a one-point game when he turned a three-pointer into four with 13 seconds on the clock.

The Taipans were able to get a breakaway dunk to lead by three but there was still time for Adelaide and both Josh Giddey and McVeigh got off three-point attempts, but they didn’t fall and Cairns held on to win 91-88.

Daniel Johnson continued his enjoyment of playing the Taipans delivering another 26 points, six rebounds and four assists for Adelaide while hitting 4/8 from downtown.

Jack McVeigh also had 22 points and three rebounds with Brandon Paul delivering 18 points and seven boards while connecting on 3/5 from three-point territory.

Sunday Dech finished with seven points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, Josh Giddey six points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Keanu Pinder six points and three boards, and Daniel Dillon three points and an assist.

It was a frustrated Sixers coach Conner Henry after the match because he knew from the position his team found themselves in during the night, they should have been able to close out the win.

"It really shouldn't have come to that point at the end. We got a couple of good looks at it, we weren't able to tie it up again and that was unfortunate," Henry said.

"Whether BP takes it or is unselfish and gives it to Jack, that is the point here. We got ahead of ourselves. We got away from a lot of the good things that we did against Illawarra and Perth."

The Sixers started to work on top by midway through the first quarter finishing the opening term on a 20 points to eight run including triples to Keanu Pinder and Daniel Johnson before the last six points from Jack McVeigh to make it 26-17.

McVeigh and Daniel Dillon then combined for Adelaide to score the first five points of the second quarter, and then it was another 5-0 run as the lead was out to a game-high 16 points three minutes into the second period.

Cairns would steady to score the next eight points but a couple of important buckets before half-time to Johnson to give him 17 points for the half for Adelaide ensured the 36ers still held a 48-45 advantage by the main break.

It was another impressive start to the third quarter from Adelaide. This time Brandon Paul drained a couple of three balls, Johnson nailed another and Sunday Dech and Josh Giddey contributed to a 10-2 run and the lead was back out to 61-50.

But again Cairns responded and despite another Adelaide triple from Paul just before three quarter-time, the 36ers lead was cut to just two heading into the fourth.

Adelaide still managed to cling to a one-point lead with four minutes to go in the game after a basket from Dech, but they would play catch up the rest of the way. A couple of scores from Paul kept the 36ers within touch before McVeigh had them back within five, and then Dech three with 19 seconds left.

A McVeigh four-point play gave the 36ers one last chance but they couldn’t connect on a three to force overtime with the Taipans holding on to win by three.

The Sixers now return to Melbourne and will look to bounce back up against the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Saturday.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL ROUND 14

ADELAIDE 36ERS 88 (Johnson 26, McVeigh 22, Paul 18) 

CAIRNS TAIPANS 91 (Oliver 25, Ngatai 15, King 14)

BOX SCORE