THE Taipans’ finals hopes have found a pulse.
The men from Cairns still have a mountain to climb to crack the NBL top four but they gave themselves a chance on Saturday evening as they outlasted a finals bound New Zealand Breakers.
The 10-13 Snakes will need to win their remaining five games of the season and the Breakers were their first casualties in Round 15.
A massive final term, on both the offensive and defensive end, from skipper Cameron Gliddon lifted Cairns over the Breakers, 81-71.
The Snakes went on an 18-0 run through the middle of the final term to clinch the victory.
New Zealand opened up an eight point advantage early in the final term which was quickly reeled in and erased by a Gliddon triple with just over five minutes to play.
Gliddon’s 10 last term points gave the Snakes the push they needed to overcome the Kiwis.
The captain led the charge with 20 points as well as seven rebounds while Scoochie Smith and Jerry Evans Jnr both scored over double figures from the bench.
The victory levelled the season series at two each.
The Snakes have just one home game left this season and will need to reserve their poor away form to crack the top four.
Big man Nate Jawai returned to the court in Cairns for the first time in 2018 and was greeted by a raucous reception when he entered the game and when he scored his first bucket.
A pair of Jarrad Weeks drives to the basket helped extend the Snakes lead to seven at the first change.
Import guard DJ Newbill kept the visitors in the contest with 16 first half points and finished with a game high 25 in arguably his best game of the season.
With Damon Heuir, Smith and Jawai playing extended minutes, the hosts bench blew away the Breakers for bench production as the Kiwis relied heavily on their starters.
Breakers star Edgar Sosa travelled to the Far North after suffering a rolled ankle on Thursday night against Melbourne but did not suit up in Cairns.
The Snakes travel to Melbourne this week to face United on Wednesday, who beat Brisbane in the earlier game on Saturday evening.
