Warning — Graphic Content: 57 missed threes

• United snaps four-game losing streak
• Taipans have now lost 14 straight NBL games
• Chris Goulding on limited minutes, still had 19

Wow, that was ugly. Perhaps the tryptophan from the roast turkey at Christmas lunch the day prior to this Boxing Day round 14 NBL clash between Cairns Taipans and Melbourne United had yet to wear off because this wasn't great.

It lived up to the hype of a club mired in a 13-game losing streak and another road team trying to snap a four-game losing streak the day after Christmas.

In the end Melbourne United snapped won its first game in five and the Taipans lost its 14th game in 14 — 76-66 (Game Centre).

Collectively, both clubs shot 51-from-138 and a diabolical 16-from-73 (23%) from three.

Taipans Taran Armstrong (1-from-9) and Rob Edwards (2-from-12) just couldn't get the job done on the offensive end.

Melbourne (13-8) have won the most games this season but are second on the ladder behind the now championship favourite Illawarra Hawks, who have played four less games for the 12 wins.

Melbourne United fended off a spirited Cairns Taipans comeback to secure a hard-fought 10-point victory at the Cairns Convention Centre.

United's early dominance and clutch plays down the stretch proved decisive, as they weathered a second-half storm from the Taipans.

Melbourne burst out of the gates, establishing a commanding 25-13 lead after the first quarter. Their suffocating defence and efficient offence continued into the second period, stretching the advantage to 17 points by halftime. Chris Goulding was in fine form, knocking down timely three-pointers to keep Cairns at bay.

However, the Taipans refused to go quietly into the tropical night. Spurred on by a vocal home crowd of 4,428, Cairns clawed their way back into the contest in the third quarter led by American import Tanner Groves and veteran Kyle Adnam, igniting a 9-0 run that brought the Snakes to within striking distance.

The momentum shift was palpable, as United's once-comfortable lead dwindled to just seven points heading into the final frame. The Taipans forced as many as nine straight stops but just couldn't score the ball efficiently enough to climb the hump.

The statistics tell the tale of a game won on the glass and in the paint. Melbourne dominated the rebounding battle 58-31, including a whopping 18 offensive boards that led to 13 second-chance points. United also outscored Cairns 40-18 in the paint, leveraging their size advantage to great effect.

Goulding, in his second game back from injury, emerged as the game's standout performer, finishing with a game-high 19 points on six-from-17 shooting, including four three-pointers. The United captain's ability to hit clutch shots when his team needed them most was instrumental in securing the victory.

For Cairns, Groves' 20-point effort on an efficient 7-from-10 shooting wasn't enough to overcome United's collective strength. The Taipans will rue their poor shooting night, connecting on just 34% of their field goal attempts and a mere 28% from beyond the arc.

Cairns (3-15) face New Zealand (7-11) in the last game of 2024 on December 31 at home (Game Centre). The Taipans and Breakers have lost 21 straight games between them, which means one will enter 2025 on a one-game winning streak, the other not.