Edwards' 35 puts Taipans in Shootout lead

• Cairns tear apart Brisbane by 31 points
• Taipans take the lead in NBL Summer Shootout
• Rob Edwards on fire, drops 35 points.

Rob Edwards scorching 35-point performance pushed the Cairns Taipans into the NBL Summer Shoot out lead and a 111-80 (Game Centre) thrashing of the Brisbane Bullets at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday, January 17, 2025.

Cairns unleashed a barrage of three-pointers to to snap their losing streak against their Queensland rivals and past Perth's 105-point Shootout performance.

The Snakes came out firing from the opening tip, riding a wave of momentum from their improved form. After a disappointing New Year's Eve loss to the Breakers had threatened to derail their campaign, Cairns has played with renewed vigour in 2025. That energy was on full display as they raced to a 31-24 first quarter lead behind Edwards' hot hand.

The onslaught continued in the second quarter as the Taipans poured in 31 more points to take a commanding 62-45 advantage into halftime. Edwards was unstoppable, draining 6-from-7 attempts from beyond the arc en route to 22 first-half points. As a team, Cairns shot a blistering 63% from the field and 71% from three-point range before the break.

Brisbane, playing their third game in six days and missing several key players, simply had no answer for Cairns' offensive juggernaut.

Despite Casey Prather's valiant 22-point effort, the Bullets were overwhelmed as the Taipans continued to pile on the points in the second half. A 29-point fourth quarter outburst allowed Cairns to cruise to the 31-point victory and seize the lead in the Summer Shootout standings.

The statistics tell the tale of Cairns' remarkable shooting night. The Taipans connected on 59% of their field goal attempts and a scorching 55% (16-from-29) from three-point range. In contrast, Brisbane managed just 36% shooting as a team despite pulling down 20 offensive rebounds.

Edwards was the star of the show, finishing with 35 points on 7-from-11 shooting from deep to go along with three assists. The sharpshooting guard has been a key catalyst in Cairns' resurgence.

"We're not playing for a play-in position, but we are playing for pride," said Taipans coach Adam Forde.

"The boys responded and sometimes we treat defence like a well-organised pick-up game. You can manage and navigate that."

Taran Armstrong continued his impressive recent form with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Tanner Groves chipped in 17 points and eight boards. Kyle Adnam provided a spark off the bench with 14 points and 6 assists.

The road ahead remains challenging for both Queensland clubs. Brisbane will look to snap their three-game skid when they travel to face the Illawarra Hawks on Monday night.

Meanwhile, Cairns aims to keep their momentum rolling as they host the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday. With the NBL25 season heating up, both teams will be eager to build on this performance and climb the ladder in the weeks ahead.