Adelaide 36ers vs. Cairns Taipans
When: 7:00pm (AEDT), Friday 25th October
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
Broadcast: NBL TV, SBS On Demand/Viceland, Twitch TV
Last times they’ve met:
Feb 2 2019: Cairns Taipans 91 (Trimble 21) lost to Adelaide 36ers 100 (D Johnson 24, Sobey 14) at Cairns Convention Centre (The Snakepit)
In Adelaide: Adelaide 36ers 87 (D Johnson 22) defeated Cairns Taipans 82 (Trimble, Jawai 18) at Titanium Security Arena (The Fortress)
SIXERS SHOT BACK INTO HISTORY
Quarter Final 2005/06: Anthony Orchestrates a Heartbreaker
The most famous encounter of the 36ers/Taipans history ended with an absolute heart-breaker of a shot. The Taipans had finally rolled into playoff contention after a few years of missing the playoffs and had plenty of inside knowledge about our club in dual championship players Martin Cattalini and Darnell Mee. The Taipans flew out of the blocks with import centre Chris Burgess looking ominous early and defensive maestro Aaron Grabau doing a job on Willie Farley. Dusty Rychart started to turn the game back in Adelaide’s favour 30-26 at quarter time. Maher got the 36ers underway with some triples before Cairns brought the margin back to a basket mid-way through 13 to tenacious guard Nathan Croswell. Dusty leading all scorers with 16 and the 36ers up 55-51 at the half.
The game had closed up with nothing splitting the two teams and both teams making big plays through their role players such as Mark Nash and Melvin Thomas. Veteran shooter Anthony Stewart ignited the Taipans with an 8-0 run before 36ers veteran centre Paul Rees found a crucial basket prior to three quarter time, 36ers down 71-70. Farley and Maher came to the party but so did Grabau who eventually produced a season high 20 as the 36ers once again took the lead in the see-sawing affair 82-80. Mee eventually scored 11 crucial points in the quarter, but then produced an explicable turnover from the ball into Cattalini, but the Cat then put Cairns back in front 93-92. Mee then scored again before Rychart then missed a shot and the 36ers fouled Mee. Mee made one from two then Oscar Forman found the ball in the key then went up strong for the two and the game was going to overtime 96-96.
OT began with scores from Mee and Nash then Grabau hit his fourth triple to take it out to 101-98. Jacob Holmes then made two from the stripe for the 36ers, then Cattalini hit back, then Rychart scored his 25th point, Forman missed an open triple before Farley was fouled by a hand that looked clean from Mee. Farley made one of two and it was 103-103 and coach Alan Black of the Taipans called time-out. Gary Boodnikoff missed the three-point shot but the ball was tipped out of bounds, four seconds to go. Anthony Stewart was subbed in for the Taipans and they found him in the north-west corner and the Taipans had defeated Adelaide 106-103.
Cairns Taipans 106 (Grabau, Boodnikoff 20, Mee 16) defeated Adelaide 36ers 103 (Rychart 25, Farley 24, Maher 17) in Overtime at the Distinctive Homes Dome
Key Match-Ups:
Jerome Randle vs. Scott Machado
Its another case of a master versus an apprentice but new Taipans import Machado seems to be the real deal and has a more experienced and all-round game than his predecessor at the point in Melo Trimble. Machado is already averaging a healthy 15.3ppg at 47 percent from the field and 7.8 assists per game. The handles of Randle were back in the last two games but I loved how he inserted himself into the game in many different ways. While his points per game may be down by six in his career average to 14.7 ppg his assists are up to 4 per game and has covered his man better defensively. Sixers coach Joey Wright also has the option of going to his two captains Brendan Teys or the “lockdown” man in Kevin White if Machado starts to get hot from the field ala Aaron Brooks Monday night.
Daniel Johnson vs Majok Deng
The stats do not lie, DJ has his highest career average against the Taipans both here and at home. He averages 17.28 against the Taipans since the start of 2012 hence the Taipans never seemed to have the match up to counter DJ until now. Enter ex-Sixers player Majok Deng who has started extremely well including lighting up his favourite Wildcats team with a career high 22 points last Friday night. The extra playing time and clearly the work Deng has done has made him an even more challenging player defensively and offensively. No doubt we’ll see some of the scrimmage moves and plays they orchestrated on each at past trainings but unlike before Deng may have the key to DJ’s kryptonite the Taipans finally need to keep him from single-handily skinning them.
Jack McVeigh vs. Mirko Djeric
Don’t want to put pressure on “Jumpin” Jack McVeigh but his start to the season off the bench is exactly what the Sixers have needed in games since Mitch Creek left the club. He reminds me of him circa 2014-16 seasons with much potential but can he take it to the next level? He’s started the season well averaging 10ppg, 50 percent from beyond the perimeter in an average of 18 minutes per game. If he keeps this up he’s in the conversation for most improved player. The “Cannon from Canberra” Mirko Djeric is back in the NBL and has been a thorn in Sixers side of past including that infamous loss to the Townsville Crocodiles in 2015. Djeric actually averages 9ppg off the pine against the Sixers since 2015 and since his return to the Taipans has been an extremely handy acquisition. His international experience will be a key when the Taipans scorers take their rest and the Sixers including McVeigh will need to be aware of how dangerous Djeric can be.
The Last Play
Another game with more sub-plots including the return of Deng and although I don’t expect the Taipans to finish in the top four they are already going to be remarkably improved this season. It all comes down to whether the Taipans can stop DJ and honestly history suggests they can’t but they do have more options defensively than previously.
The Taipans were mighty impressive against the Wildcats in Perth but I wonder if new imports Cameron Oliver, rookie sensation Kouat Noi, Deng and veteran big man Nate Jawai can handle a more mobile Sixers front court of Eric Griffin, DJ, Froling and Kyei. The Taipans last few wins in Adelaide have been on the back of hanging around in the game and slithering over the line right at the finish so if the Sixers get off to a fast start, they should be able to hold them to a double figure margin.
As Scotty Cam would say, it should be another 11 out of 10 performance from the teams on “The Block” and Taipans should have “tools down” by end of Friday night’s episode…
36ers by 11pts
*This article is a duplicate of an article written for publishing for And The Foul.net and may appear before or after publishing
CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 