Round 2 NBL action continues, and we have the Cairns Taipans hosting the Sydney Kings for some Saturday Night Hoops.
The Taipans come into this clash with a split record after two games, and the Sydney Kings will be looking for their first win after a loss to the Taipans last week in Cairns.
Friday Night Basketball saw an overtime thriller between the Adelaide 36ers and the New Zealand Breakers. The 36ers came out on top on the back of a big performance from Issac Humphries with 24 Points and 11 Rebounds. Former NBA player Donald Sloan was impressive for the 36ers with 20 points off the bench, and Tai Webster’s 34 points for the Breakers wasn’t enough to get the win in their first outing of the season.
Be sure to check back before each NBL Match for NBL Tips, NBL Previews and NBL Player Props for each round of the
Cairns Taipans vs Sydney Kings
Last Meeting
Round 1 2021, Cairns 87 – Sydney 86
Last 5 Meetings
Cairns – 2 Wins
Sydney – 3 Wins
Last Round
The Taipans are coming off a loss to the Illawarra Hawks on Monday and were outclassed. They did defeat the Kings last week by a single point and will be looking to get back some form.
The Sydney Kings are coming off a loss to the Taipans and will get a chance to rectify some of the errors from last week. Perhaps we may get to see more minutes from Jarell Martin in this encounter who was productive in his 15 minutes last weekend.
Prediction
The Taipans won a close match last week against the Kings, and the Kings will be out for revenge.
Cairns are coming off a loss to the Hawks, and they have looked less than impressive so far this season. The loss of DJ Newbill may be having an effect, but they need to lift defensive intensity if they are to be a threat again this season. Kouat Noi has looked decent so far this season and has stepped up, but Cam Oliver will need to step up in this match and will have his hands full against a big former NBA Centre who will get more minutes in this one.
The Kings were pretty good last week against the Taipans, but will need to improve their shooting if they are a chance in this match. They do have a real weapon in Jarell Martin on the bench, and he will likely get more minutes in this clash and get the green light to be aggressive.
The Taipans need to find some form and are well led by point guard Scott Machado. If Cam Oliver gets going, it will make it very tough for the Kings. The Taipans should be too strong at home, but the Kings will more than likely hang around for most of the contest.
Our Pick – Cairns Taipans (Win)
Player Prop – Jarell Martin +12.5 Points
The former Memphis Grizzlies product looked good in just the 15 minutes last week with 11 Points and 8 Rebounds. There is a massive chance he will get 20+ minutes in this clash, and he may even cover his 7.5 Rebounds line.