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Cairns Taipans vs Adelaide 36ers |
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|---|---|---|
2016/17 NBL Season, 9 February 2017 |
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| Cairns Convention Centre | ||
| Cairns Taipans | Adelaide 36ers | |
| 89 | SCORE | 85 |
| 18 | Q1 | 18 |
| 28 | Q2 | 27 |
| 15 | Q3 | 23 |
| 25 | Q4 | 17 |
The season is on the line for the Cairns Taipans in their must-win game against the first-placed, yet out of sorts Adelaide 36ers, to start the final round of the NBL season. Join The Roar for live scores from 7:30pm (AEDT).
To think there are just six games remaining in the season, and six teams are still in contention for the final three spots in the finals is insane.
The Taipans, who looked out of the race just a few weeks ago, have turned their form around, winning some big matches to now have a chance of making the semi-finals.
To do that though, they must overcome the minor premiers not once, but twice, with a return match in Adelaide to be played on Saturday night.
With a record of 13-13, if the fifth-placed Taipans lose one of these games, they’ll be relying on a miracle from other results to make the playoffs. Lose both and it’s curtains.
Because the Taipans have lost the season series to both the Perth Wildcats and Melbourne United, they must finish ahead of one on record alone. Given Perth play Sydney, Melbourne play New Zealand and then the two clubs square off to end the season, the chance of the Taipans being able to qualify off a single victory is low.
Unfortunately for Cairns, their run to the top four got a lot harder after they dropped a game to the Illawarra Hawks last week. Yet, a home victory against Perth kept their season alive, with Travis Trice showing some red-hot form.
As for the 36ers, they have the minor premiership wrapped up after a stunning run throughout the second half of the season that saw them win 13 from 14 games.
They have stumbled in the last fortnight though, dropping a pair of games and looking like the team that found themselves on the bottom of the table at the midway point of the season.
While the 36ers have a vulnerability in defence, their offence is likely to go off at any time, with Jerome Randle, Nathan Sobey and Daniel Johnson, along with young import Terrance Ferguson, leading the charge.
And that’s what this game comes down to – whether they can get the better of the gritty Taipans defence, which normally rises to the occasion at home.
The other question to be asked is whether the 36ers will rest players from the road trip north.
Prediction
The Taipans are built on defence, so a desperation game like this at home should suit them down to the ground.
Taipans by 5.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of the match from 7:30pm (AEDT).
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde
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