Jack McVeigh delivers dagger in Cairns road win

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Forward Jack McVeigh came up big in the fourth quarter to lead the Cairns Taipans past Sydney Kings 77-74 at Qudos Bank Arena in Round 2 of NBL26.

The 29-year-old former Houston Rockets two-way player scored eight of game high 24 points in the fourth, including a turnaround dagger to push the score to 77-71 with 43 seconds left.

McVeigh was an ultra-efficient 9-from-14 from the field, including 2-from-4 threes. Teammate Andrew Andrews, who suffered cramp against the Bullets hours after arriving in Australia hit a big time three with 1:47 left to push the score to 74-71.

The Kings highly vaunted backcourt of 2025 All-NBA First Team guard Kendric Davis and NBA champion Matthew Dellavedova shot a combined 14-from-42 (33%) from the field with Davis jacking up 27 shots to score his 21 points.

Cairns are now 2-1 to start the season while the Kings 0-1.

Crunch-Time Snapshot (≤2:00)

• 1:47 Andrews buries a go-ahead 3 (71–74).
• 1:32 Higgins-Titsha splits at the line → 71–75.
• 0:43 McVeigh’s turnaround stretches it to 71–77 (biggest late lead).
• 0:22 Kouat Noi hits a 3 amid an offensive-foul/turnover sequence (feed lists 74–77 thereafter).
• Final half-minute features fouls/turnovers and a missed McVeigh 3 at :01.

Key Details

• Result: Cairns Taipans 77 def. Sydney Kings 74
• When: September 28, 2025
• Where: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney

By the Numbers

• Jack McVeigh (Cairns Taipans) starred with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and one block in 35 minutes.
• Kendric Davis (Sydney Kings) scored 21 points, had three rebounds, two assists, and three steals in 36 minutes.

What Happened

The Taipans started strong, taking a 22-18 lead after the first quarter. Sydney responded with a dominant second period, outscoring Cairns 27-18 to build a 45-40 halftime advantage. The Kings' seven-point lead represented their largest margin of the contest.

Cairns flipped the script after halftime, winning the third quarter 21-13 behind McVeigh's efficient scoring. The visitors entered the final period with a 61-58 advantage, setting up a tense finish at Qudos Bank Arena.

Both teams traded baskets throughout a tight fourth quarter, with the lead changing hands 17 times during the contest. The Taipans' balanced attack proved crucial, with Reyne Smith adding 16 points including four three-pointers, while Andrew Andrews contributed 16 points and seven assists.

The Kings struggled from three-point range, connecting on just 4-from-28 attempts (14 per cent) compared to Cairns' more respectable 11-from-34 (32 per cent). This long-range shooting disparity ultimately proved decisive in the three-point outcome.

Dellavedova orchestrated Sydney's offense with five assists but couldn't prevent the home side's third-quarter eight point deficit. The Kings' frontcourt of Xavier Cooks and Tim Soares combined for 20 points on efficient 9-from-18 shooting, but it wasn't enough to overcome Cairns' balanced attack.

The Taipans dominated possession time, leading for over 29 minutes compared to Sydney's seven minutes. McVeigh's stellar performance included 9-from-14 shooting from the field while adding two three-pointers and perfect 4-from-4 from the charity stripe.

Cairns withstood a 21-point effort from Kings guard Kendric Davis, who struggled with efficiency on 9-from-27 shooting. The visitors overcame 14 turnovers by out-rebounding the Kings 43-52 and shooting at a higher percentage from the field (43 per cent versus 37 per cent).

Bul Kuol provided valuable minutes off the bench for Sydney with eight rebounds, while Admiral Schofield contributed seven points and six rebounds for the Taipans in their road victory.