Cairns Taipans smashed by NBA’s Toronto Raptors in the US

Things have gone from bad to worse for the Cairns Taipans on their NBA tour - suffering another blowout loss, and a potentially costly injury to a key starter.

Kyle Kuzma starred for the Washington Wizards in a big pre-season win over the NBL’s Cairns Taipans. Picture: Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFP

The true cost of the Taipans’ first foray into North America to take on NBA opposition won’t be known until they’re back on home soil after another injury in their 41-point loss to the Raptors in Toronto on Monday.

Patrick Miller and “Temporary Taipan” Elfrid Payton both breached the 20-point mark as a much-improved yet vastly understrength Cairns took the fight to Toronto.

The Taipans outscored the 2019 NBA champions in the third quarter, but the gulf in class – and personnel – showed as the Raptors closed out the 134-93 win with a 30-10 fourth quarter.

Point guard Miller topscored for the Taipans with 22 points, six assists and four rebounds while Payton, who joined the Snakes for a one-day guest appearance, put up 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

But Taipans coach Adam Forde was left with another concern after Lat Mayen left the floor with a lower leg injury.

Javon Freeman-Liberty led Toronto with 15 points, wjhile five others hit double figures.

The Taipans will now travel back to Australia for an October 26 clash with the Hawks in Illawarra, then back up two days later when they welcome the Kings to Cairns.

Javon Freeman-Liberty drives to the basket against the Taipans. Picture: Getty

SHORT-STAFFED SNAKES

Mayen had looked good through both losses to the Wizards and Raptors, and on Monday had 13 points (60 per cent from the field) and five rebounds in 23 minutes.

Payton, who was taken tenth in the 2014 NBA Draft and has played for five NBA clubs since, was an emergency signing for the Snakes who were without Taran Armstrong (foot), Tahjere McCall (family) and Sam Mennenga (illness) for their second pre-season clash.

Armstrong played against the Wizards last week but didn’t suit up in the first three NBL games of the campaign, and had his foot back in a moonboot for the Toronto game.

McCall is in the United States for the impending arrival of his first child, and it is not known when he will rejoin the team.

Mennenga didn’t play a minute in either game and has already returned home.

It left Forde with 10 men, including Payton, against the Raptors’ 17 at a well-attended Scotiabank Arena, which left Miller to play 40 minutes.

YOUNG GUNS LOOK GOOD

These games were never about the result, but more of an opportunity for the Taipans’ younger players to show out in front of NBA scouts.

Next Star Bobi Klintman showed glimpses of his potential across both games, and while the shots weren’t quite dropping on Monday (25 per cent from the field), he finished with nine points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals to showcase some of his potential.

Sam Waardenburg (15pts, 4 reb) and Josh Roberts (11pts, 9reb) didn’t look out of place, and while Akoldah Gak had a tough night he did have the chance to play on one of his idols in Pascal Siakam.

Mayen also showed his growth since entering the NBL system last summer with a few big buckets to tick over the scoreboard and keep Cairns in the hunt.

Next Star Bobi Klinman was impressive for the Taipans. Picture: Getty

AUSSIES GIVEN BASKETBALL LESSON IN NBA BLOWOUT

By Russell Gould

The heavy legs which come on the back of international travel and a “bug” sweeping through the Cairns Taipans combined to open a window for the Washington Wizards to inflict a humbling 63-point loss on the tourists in their clash in the US on Wednesday.

Two years ago the Adelaide 36ers set a new standard for NBL teams by toppling the Oklahoma City Thunder in a stunning pre-season result when Josh Giddey was playing for the Australian outfit.

But any hopes the Taipans had of emulating that feat in were blown away by the pre-match illnesses to both Sam Waardenburg and Sam Mennenga and then a 44-point first quarter demolition by the NBA outfit which ended in a humbling 145-82 defeat.

The Taipans were down by as many as 65 points in the final quarter as the Wizards went to their bench, using 16 players to inflict maximum damage on their well-beaten opponents.

Despite being three games into their regular season in the NBL, the Taipans were no match for Kyle Kuzma and the Wizards who were playing their opening match of the NBA pre-season in Washington.

Bilal Coulibaly plays both ends!

The Wizards rookie gets on the board in his #NBAPreseason debut. pic.twitter.com/ysdJU2JJtR

— NBA (@NBA) October 10, 2023

The opening gambit from the home side was just the start of what was to come, with a 21-point quarter-time lead, 36 at halftime, then a mammoth 48 points at the final change as the Wizards put on a show of talent and strength.

Taipans coach Adam Foorde conceded the lack of players hurt his team’s chances and hoped that quarantining both Waardenburg and Mennenga would help his men stay healthy for a clash with the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

“We’ve got a bit of a bug going through the team, hence why sam and sam aren’t here, we have quarantined them to make sure it doesn’t go through the group,” he said after the eye-opening defeat.

“This league is much longer and faster and stronger and after the initial shell-shock of the first quarter and the guys getting their legs underneath them I appreciate the effort.

“ But there were a fair air balls and a few short shots. It was definitely an experience.”

Even with Kuzma given a rest last in the game, after powering his way to 22 points, which allowed last year’s NBL MVP Xavier Cooks, now with the Wizards, to get court time, there was little respite for the Taipans who only had nine available players.

Akoldah Gak was the leading scorer for Cairns with 17 points, with Patrick Miller next best with 15.

It’s the fifth time in seven years that NBL teams will participate in the NBA pre-season, with the Taipans coming off a controversial 89-86 win over the Brisbane Bullets last weekend.

Originally published as Cairns Taipans smashed by NBA’s Toronto Raptors in the US