Cairns Taipans have been out of the NBL finals race since December, but can use their final seven games to shape the playoffs, star import Melo Trimble says.
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In front of a vocal home crowd on Monday night, the Taipans upset the New Zealand Breakers to destroy their finals hopes with a gritty 106-98 overtime win.
The win-hungry Breakers looked set to notch an easy victory when leading by 12 midway through the second quarter, but could not hold off the determined Snakes.
Trimble once again led Cairns' scoring with 32 points, combining with Nate Jawai (18) and DJ Newbill (16) to inspire the victory.
"I thought our first half defence was poor as a group," said coach Mike Kelly of conceding 51 points in the opening two quarters.
"It was a bummer because we were scoring. We did a much better job in the second half."
The Taipans restricted New Zealand to just 37 in the second half, including 15 points in the final quarter. The sides face each other again in New Plymouth on Thursday.
The Breakers, still mathematically with a slim chance of playing in the finals, will be keen to bounce back, while the Taipans will be determined to maintain their impressive 2019 form (3-3) rolling after being 1-14 before January 1.
Trimble, who is leading the NBL's scoring this season, said shaping the finals make-up was now Cairns' number one aim.
"We are just playing good basketball right now and I'm trying to get after it every game. We get to kill people's dreams of getting to the finals while ours is over," he said.
"We play them again on Thursday and they are trying to get one back. We are just going to try and finish the year strong."
Breakers coach Kevin Braswell was devastated post-match, having blown leads against Illawarra on Friday night and again in Cairns.
"I feel like for the most part, when you look at the score, we were doing a pretty good job," he said.
"But then teams make runs, the momentum swings and then we break. We have just got to be better."
For the Breakers, Shawn Long finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and two blocks despite early foul trouble, while Tai Wesley also had 20 points and added six rebounds to his tally before being fouled off.
Australian Associated Press
