Cairns rolled by bottom of ladder Hawks at home

If the Cairns Taipans want to be taken seriously this NBL season, Saturday night’s home fixture against the lowly Illawarra was a game they just had to win.

Hawks LaMelo Ball runs around Taipans Scott Machado who slips during the Round 6 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and Illawarra Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Saturday, November 9, 2019. (AAP Image/Marc McCormack)

If the Cairns Taipans want to be taken seriously this NBL season, Saturday night’s home fixture against the lowly Illawarra was a game they just had to win.

And, against a team that has struggled all season and had claimed just one win, against the Snakes in a thriller, the Taipans were like a deer in the headlights on the must-win stage.

At 2-5 against the bottom of the ladder Hawks, if Cairns wanted to keep up with the top four, they just had to win.

And, they should have won well going on the two teams recent form.

Instead, they put in a terrible first-half, got better as the game went on, but the damage had already been committed.

A battling Illawarra at home in front of a packed crowd, it just had to be a lay-up for the Taipans – but it turned into an air ball.

Teenager LaMelo Ball (24 points, six rebounds and eight assists) was the youngest on the court but he played like savvy veteran and was clearly the best player in the stadium.

A David Andersen straight on three with seven minutes to play in the last would be a dagger, pushing the Hawks lead out to 14 and they would hardly be troubled again.

Illawarra would snatch their second victory of the campaign, 91-101.

Taipans DJ Newbill runs into Hawks Todd Blanchfield during the Round 6 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and Illawarra Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Saturday, November 9, 2019. (AAP Image/Marc McCormack)

It was hard to select a positive for Cairns but combo-guard Mirko Djeric (16 points and five rebounds) provided offence from the bench, after the reserves failed to fire last week against the Breakers.

Earlier in the night, Illawarra opened up a then game-high nine point advantage early in the second term on the back of triples from Ball and Sunday Dech.

The NBA-bound Ball arguably put together his best period as an NBL player in the first half, hitting four from range as well as just controlling the pace of the game when he had the ball in his hand.

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 09: DJ Newbill of the Taipans drives to the basket during the round six NBL match between the Cairns Taipans and the Illawarra Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre on November 09, 2019 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

All the Hawks’ offence flowed through the NBL Next Star, which led to the visitors leading for much of the first two terms.

Illawarra big’s like AJ Ogilvy and Andersen fed of the youngsters offensive control as they got easy buckets around the rim.

Ball had five assists through 15 minutes of game time as his Hawks led by as much as 12, forcing another Mike Kelly time-out.

Taipans DJ Newbill runs into Hawks Todd Blanchfield during the Round 6 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and Illawarra Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre in Cairns, Saturday, November 9, 2019. (AAP Image/Marc McCormack)

Reserve guard Dech, who trialled with the Taipans two seasons back without getting a job, gave Cairns real issues early on, putting in an early 13 points.

Dech was a pest defensively as well, regularly picking up full court.

Illawarra killed the Snakes on the glass, grabbing 16 first half offensive rebounds, which became way too many second chance points for Kelly’s liking.

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 09: The Hawks bench reacts after scoring a three-point shot during the round six NBL match between the Cairns Taipans and the Illawarra Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre on November 09, 2019 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Illawarra pulled in more rebounds of the offensive end, 16, than Cairns did at either end in the first half, just 13 as a team.

The men from Wollongong would take a 14-point lead into the long break, which looked to be a commanding position.

The loss drops the Taipans to 2-6 with a home date against Brisbane next Saturday night next on their agenda.

Originally published as Cairns rolled by bottom of ladder Hawks at home