Hurt delivers career night as Phoenix rises

• Jordan Hunter rips down double-figure o-boards in the first half
• Matt Hurt continues to make case for NBL First Team
• Phoenix dispatches Taipans with professional performance

In a high-octane shootout in Far North Queensland, the South East Melbourne Phoenix secured a crucial 113-102 win (Game Centre) against the Cairns Taipans, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The Phoenix, playing without injured star Derrick Walton Jr, overcame a halftime deficit to pull away late, led by Matt Hurt's NBL career-high 33 points.

The contest was a tale of two teams with vastly different motivations. South East Melbourne, sitting fifth in the ladder, arrived in Cairns desperate for a win to maintain their playoff push. The Taipans, despite their position at the bottom of the table, were eager to play spoiler and build on their improved form.

From the opening tip, both sides came out firing, combining for a blistering 61 points in the first quarter alone. The Phoenix threatened to break the game open multiple times, but the resilient Taipans continually fought back, even taking a narrow 59-58 lead into halftime.

The home side's hot shooting — 59% from the field in the first half — kept them in the game despite a massive rebounding disadvantage.

The turning point came midway through the fourth quarter when Nathan Sobey caught fire, helping the Phoenix finally create some separation. South East Melbourne's dominance on the glass proved decisive, as they out-rebounded Cairns 53-35, including a staggering 21 offensive rebounds. This led to 25 second-chance points for the visitors, a key factor in the final outcome.

Matt Hurt's performance was the standout of the night. The American forward showcased his efficient scoring touch, pouring in 33 points on 14-from-18 shooting to set a new NBL career high. Nathan Sobey provided crucial support with 26 points and seven rebounds, while Jordan Hunter was a force on the boards with 18 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive end.

"It's a tough situation but we have to still play the games and move on and I'm really proud of the guys who stepped up tonight," Phoenix coach Josh King said post-game.

"Now we're being chased; for a long part of the season we've been chasing everybody and that's the new challenge we're facing."

For Cairns, Sam Waardenburg led the way with an impressive all-around game of 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Taran Armstrong added 20 points and six assists, but expressed frustration with the team's defensive struggles. "Tonight was competitive, but there wasn't that grit," Armstrong said.

"It's been the story all year ... we haven't found ways to get stops when we need to."

The win keeps South East Melbourne firmly in the playoff race as the regular season enters its final stretch. They'll look to build on this momentum when they host the New Zealand Breakers on Saturday in their first game at the State Basketball Centre this season. Meanwhile, the Taipans will attempt to play spoiler once again when they travel to Brisbane for a Sunshine Stoush battle with the Bullets on Friday night.