Nathan Sobey's 26 saves 'dead in water' Phoenix

The South East Melbourne Phoenix overcame a seven-point deficit at three-quarter time — producing a dominant final quarter — to secure a 99-94 victory (Game Centre) against the Cairns Taipans on Saturday December 7, 2024, at John Cain Arena in Round 11.

Trailing 82-75 heading into the fourth, the Phoenix came out strong, scoring the first nine points of the quarter and 17 of the first 19 to turn the game around. Their defensive intensity stifled the Taipans’ offense, holding Cairns to just 12 points in the final period while regaining the momentum they had lost in the third.

"We were kind of dead in the water at the end of the third," Phoenix coach Josh King said.

"We needed to come back out with some energy and some pop. If we didn’t, we probably weren’t going to win the game."

Nathan Sobey led the way for the Phoenix, finishing with 26 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Matt Hurt added 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Angus Glover contributed 16 points, five boards, and four assists. Joe Wieskamp also chipped in 14 points and four rebounds.

The Taipans, despite their strong third quarter, couldn’t match South East Melbourne’s energy in the fourth.

Rob Edwards led Cairns with 24 points and seven rebounds, while Taran Armstrong added 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

Sam Waardenburg contributed 14 points, six boards, five assists, three blocks, and two steals.

"In the first four-minute stretch of the fourth quarter, I counted we had four missed layups, two threes that fell out of the rim," Taipans coach Adam Forde said.

"Then we had confusion on our defensive coverage. We have these lapses that are extremely costly."

The final-quarter surge secured South East Melbourne their seventh win of the season, moving them to 7-8 and into the NBL’s top six. Meanwhile, Cairns fell to 3-12, extending their losing streak to 11 games.