Game Preview: Taipans v Breakers

Hosting their 19th New Year's Eve game, the Taipans will be suiting up for what has historically been a promising fixture for the home side.

Between Cairns and Illawarra, the home side has won five of the seven New Year's Eve games since 2019 – three of those wins coming in Cairns – and it will be the Breaker's fourth game in the tropics to close out the year. Averaging only 63 points across their past New Year's Eve games in Cairns, they'll be facing an uphill battle to break the pattern.

Where and When

Tuesday, 31 December at the Cairns Convention Centre (6:30pm AEST)

How to Follow

Watch: Live on ESPN

Live Updates: Taipans X

Stats: Box Score

What’s Already Happened

Their Last Battle: Cairns Taipans (69) v New Zealand Breakers (77) in Round 9

With both team’s entering their final game of the 2024 calendar, one team will ring in the New Year after breaking a losing streak. For the Taipans, this game represents their best chance to break their streak as they face a team battling both injuries and a suspension – missing an average of 29.8 points per game.

Averaging 84 points since the FIBA break, New Zealand have struggled to keep up with their opponents despite being one of the best shooting teams in the league – only passing the triple digit mark once despite the explosion of scoring across the NBL since the break.

Operating with the slowest pace in the league, the Breakers returned to action after substituting import Freddie Gillespie for former-NBA player Tacko Fall, who despite averaging better stats has struggled to fit well into the lineup.

However, with his imposing 2.5m wingspan, the center casts a firm presence across the paint – leading the league in blocks, ranking fifth for offensive boards, and 13^th for total rebounds.

Whilst his dominance in the paint may cause worries for other teams, Fall will be facing the team least reliant on finding easy points in the paint, with the Taipans utilising their outside shooters to keep them in games.

Showing off his RANGE 🎯

Taran drains back-to-back triples!

📲 @cairnstaipans | 📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/fEMwvTi5ap

— Cairns Taipans (@CairnsTaipans) December 14, 2024

Hitting at least eight triples during every game since the start of November, Cairns have averaged more than two more made shots from deep than the Breakers, with both Rob Edwards and Taran Armstrong averaging more than two a game – with the former being one of four players to hit a triple in every game that he’s participated in this season.

Despite still missing AK Gak and his size, crashing the glass hard will be a major focus for Cairns. Whilst still ranking fourth for their efforts on their own boards, the Taipans have lost every rebounding battle across the past two months. However, with both Tanner Groves and Sam Waardenburg returning to form, they’ll be hoping to return to their dominant displays on the glass from earlier in the season.

Player to Watch

Since returning from injury in early November, Tanner Groves has been on an upward trajectory and has held a strong role in his side’s late comebacks across the past few games. When scoring has dried up, the American has been handed the rock and trusted with the task of reigniting Cairns’ quest for victory – scoring nine straight points to start their second half against Melbourne and help launch their fight back.

The center will be facing the former Taipan who he replaced – Sam Mennenga. Whilst the Kiwi’s scoring output has increased since leaving Cairns, the Breaker has struggled to positively impact the action and currently stands with one of the worst plus/minuses across the league. Averaging a plus/minus of -7.7 points, Mennenga is one of the few Breakers with a positive differential whilst he’s off the court, with Dane Pineau being the best performing center – who is currently injured.

The friendly bounce 😮‍💨

Tanner is 3/3 from long range!

📲 @cairnstaipans | 📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/M30oUhahzS

— Cairns Taipans (@CairnsTaipans) December 26, 2024

What’s Been Said

Taipans Head Coach Adam Forde:

"We've got a week to prepare for New Year's Eve, so we'll sort of wash this one and then put focus on that game and that scout, and preparing for those guys here.

"You could see when the ball was moving and getting through hands, we were able to generate some better driving lanes, and we just kept bringing it back to that middle corridor and forcing it – there just weren't a lot of angles to work with.

"We were down 20, and the boys could’ve easily just decided to roll over and extend their Christmas break or the festivities, but they’re a proud group.

“The fact that we brought it back from 20 down in such a grindy game, I’ll continue to give the boys credit for continuing to compete and fight."

Breakers Head Coach Petteri Koponen:

"We get to the gym and we make some shots to try and get our confidence back and keep fighting. There are11 games left and nobody wants to quit, everybody wants to keep fighting as a team and stay together – we just need to play better.

"Our focus is totally on basketball and we're just trying to get better, get out of this slump and get the confidence back. Now we'll go back to Auckland, and we'll rest on day before getting back on the practice court, and we'll spend that time with family before we go into Cairns."

The Lineups

Taipans

PG – Taran Armstrong / Jackson Makoi / Kyle Adnam

SG – Rob Edwards / Jonah Antonio

SF – Pedro Bradshaw / Alex Higgins-Titsha

PF – Sam Waardenburg / Kyrin Galloway / Kody Stattmann

C – Tanner Groves / Dillon Stith

Breakers

PG – Mitch McCarron / Alex McNaught

SG – Matt Mooney / Mojave King

SF – Karim Lopez / Sean Bairstow

PF – Jonah Bolden / Grant Anticevich / Max Darling

C – Sam Mennenga / Tacko Fall

Ins and Outs 

Taipans

Ins – Alex Higgins-Titsha, Kody Stattmann

Outs – AK Gak (knee)

Breakers

Ins – Alex McNaught, Tai Wynyard

Outs – Parker Jackson-Cartwright (suspended), Dane Pineau (knee)