Wait pays off for Cairns Taipans centre Nate Jawai

Looking for Hoops news? We have you covered here with the latest edition of Jordan’s Air — Round 7 NBL wrap.

• Jawai full of pride
• Khalu targets Jawai for All Stars debut
• Jawai has blues but looks sure to start
• Jawai recommits to Cairns

BEVO LEFT SPEECHLESS

The newly glasses wearing Illawarra coach Rob Beveridge had some interesting by-play with a referee in their spanking at the hands of Brisbane on Thursday night.

Beveridge went on a decent tirade towards the whistleblower, which was caught by Foxtel.

The ref, who looks like he spends plenty of time in the weight room in the gym, copped the advice from Beveridge and replied with this.

“If you have a question for me Rob, I am happy to answer it, but in what you just said I cannot recall a question,” the ref said, or words to that effect.

Old mate Bevo did not know what to come back with.

Touché Mr Referee.

TRICE IN US SQUAD

FORMER Snake Travis Trice has been named to the 12-man USA roster for the November USA World Cup Qualifying Team, who play Argentina and Uruguay.

JAWAI WAIT PAYS OFF

To be fair, Nate Jawai should have been in the first Boomers squad for this block of games anyway but well played to Andrej Lemanis for making him a late inclusion.

The Taipan’s form stacks up against Matt Hodgson, who was selected ahead of him, but big Nate had to wait for Perth centre Angus Brandt to pull the pin because of injury to force his way in.

Let’s hope Nate can put his best foot forward over the two FIBA games and cement his spot in the NBL Boomers.

KAY KEY FOR WILDCATS

IS Nick Kay the best player to change NBL clubs in the last off-season?

Cameron Gliddon, Tai Wesley and Todd Blanchfield would also be in the conversation but the Wildcats look to have found their long term replacement for Matt Knight in Kay.

Kay was excellent in Cairns during the Commonwealth Games earlier this year.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND — NOVEMBER 23: Nick Kay of the Wildcats celebrates with the team after winning the round seven NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Perth Wildcats at Spark Arena on November 23, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

COACH KELLY GETS THE LAST WORD

TAIPANS coach Mike Kelly had enough of the refs against Adelaide.

The Foxtel effects microphones caught a hilarious conversation between the Cairns mentor and the men in green. It went something like this:

Kelly: “I’m not even talking to you”.

Ref: “Who are you talking to then?”.

Kelly: “Myself. You guys don’t listen anyway”

Good stuff Mike.

But, his comments later in the evening left him a little lighter in his sky rocket.

Originally published as Wait pays off for Cairns Taipans centre Nate Jawai