Cairns wins 'ugly' in cyclone delayed spoon battle

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Cairns Taipans head coach Adam Forde said what most of those fans and critics who watched it were thinking: "It's an ugly game."

But it was one the Taipans needed in a NBL26 season that was really failed to launch. Forty-eight hours after it was supposed to be played, delayed by Cyclone Koji, Cairns held off the Brisbane Bullets 88-83 at the Cairns Convention Centre to close out Round 16 on Monday, January 12, 2026.

But both clubs get a pass. They are injury riddled and destabilised.

Cairns lost star big man Sam Waardenburg to an ankle injury in the third quarter, Mawot Mag, on game day ruled out for the rest of the season with a stress fracture, no Reyne Smith, Alex Higgins-Titsha, and Brisbane's injury list including Casey Prather, Tyrell Harrison, Lamar Patterson, Javon Freeman-Liberty and Dakota Mathias, an interim head coach Darryl McDonald, and a new import Hunter Maldonado.

"He’s (Waardenburg) in good spirits, but we’ll get the scan tomorrow," Forde said.

"It’s the other foot, which is good ’cause he’s a little bit stronger in that foot than the other one. But it’s too early to tell and we won’t know until scans.

"It’s frustrating. And again, when you talk about trying to build a little bit of momentum, even during the game — and I was guilty of it too — when we saw Waardenburg down and get carried off, it rattled the group for the majority of the guys, and it got to me too.

"When you’re trying to build a little bit of momentum and you look down the end of the bench and Mo’s out, Reyne's is out, Al’s out, and Waardenburg's sitting there with a foot in a tub of ice — it’s frustrating.

"But every team deals with injuries. We just gotta regroup and keep moving forward."

Despite the aesthetic, it was a game of significant consequence for both ball clubs. The win moved Cairns off the bottom of the ladder at 7-17 and crashed the Bullets to the bottom on 6-19.

"It’s an ugly game," Forde said,.

"That’s not gonna win too many beauty contests from either end. Even Maldonado getting to the foul line — good for him — but it was ugly. The grind-out ending — credit to this man to my left (Jack McVeigh), he made some plays. Drew (Andrew Andrews) made some plays.

"We became a bit spectator-ish on the offensive end and a bit passive on the defensive end, but the last couple of possessions were good.

"Marcus (Lee) got a deflection that led to a steal. We were able to wall up. Jack did a great job defending Maldonado — instead of getting on the rim he had to settle for a contested fadeaway. We got the rebound.

"First quarter was good. The last four or five possessions were good. Everything in between was a bit clunky."

Cyclone Koji put Far North Queensland into a severe weather warning on Saturday and forced the NBL to reschedule the game, which impacted Brisbane's preparation. Forde was full of praise for the Bullets because of that.

"Credit to Brisbane and D-Mac and that team, because they flew up on the original game day, then with the cyclone warning they travelled back, hung out in Brisbane for a day, then travelled up again," Forde added.

"That can be taxing. Credit to them — what D-Mac is doing with that group is remarkable."

Key Details

• Result: Cairns Taipans 88 def. Brisbane Bullets 83
• When: Monday, 12th January 2026
• Where: Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns
• Attendance: 3,872
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Jack McVeigh (Cairns Taipans) starred with 25 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals in 40 minutes.
• Hunter Maldonado (Brisbane Bullets) scored 31 points, and had six rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in 33 minutes.

What Happened

The Taipans established early dominance with a commanding 28-16 first quarter advantage, setting the tone for what would become a hard-fought home victory. Cairns maintained their momentum in the second period, holding Brisbane to another 19 points while adding 19 of their own to take a 47-35 halftime lead.

Brisbane mounted a comeback in the third quarter, outscoring the hosts 27-21 to close the gap to 68-62 heading into the final period. The Bullets continued their late charge in the fourth, matching Cairns point-for-point with 21 apiece, but their early deficit proved insurmountable as the Taipans secured the five-point victory.

Jack McVeigh delivered an outstanding performance for the home team, shooting an efficient 11-from-18 from the field while orchestrating the offense with six assists. His balanced contribution of 25 points and six boards provided the offensive backbone Cairns needed. Complementing McVeigh's efforts, Kyrin Galloway was exceptional with 19 points on an impressive 8-from-11 shooting, while Sam Waardenburg posted a perfect 6-from-6 field goal performance for 13 points before going down with an injury with 5:46 left in the third quarter. His absence made a difference as Cairns led 58-46.

For Brisbane, Hunter Maldonado's explosive 31-point display kept the Bullets competitive throughout. The guard was particularly effective from the charity stripe, converting 13-from-18 free throw attempts, though his three-point shooting remained cold at 0-from-3. Terry Taylor provided solid support with 22 points and eight rebounds, shooting 10-from-20 from the field.

The Taipans' superior field goal shooting proved decisive, connecting on 53% of their attempts compared to Brisbane's 45%. However, both teams struggled from downtown, with Cairns managing a poor 30% from three-point range while Brisbane shot a dismal 19% from beyond the arc. The Bullets' aggressive approach to the rim earned them significantly more free throw attempts (30-12), but their inability to capitalise on these opportunities ultimately cost them the game.

Defensively, both teams recorded identical statistics with seven steals apiece, though Cairns held a slight edge in blocks three-to-one. The Taipans controlled the boards marginally, out-rebounding Brisbane 34-35, while both sides struggled to control the ball with 12 and 10 turnovers respectively.

The victory strengthens Cairns' position in the NBL standings, while Brisbane will rue missed opportunities in what became a winnable contest on the road.