NBL27 Match Recap: Melbourne United vs Cairns Taipans. 3 October 2026.

Melbourne United have fallen just short in their second home game of the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 season inside John Cain Arena against the Cairns Taipans, in what was a hotly contested affair between two hungry teams. 

It was Josh Oduro who took the lid off the ring for the first bucket of the game, finishing confidently with a layup off a Cole Anthony feed.

Following in the big-man’s footsteps was Malith Machar, who drove strong to the right side of the ring for a layup, then cashed in a three on the same side of the court for five early points.

Some tough shot-making from the Taipans gave them a four point advantage just past the midway mark of the first,  a lead that lasted just over a minute, as Anthony, and Shea Ili in his first game of the season, took over the game with back-to-back buckets to level the playing field.

A stretch of stagnance and missed opportunities from United left them chasing a 14-18 deficit as the buzzer sounded to end the first.

Shooting some energy into his team's offence to open the second, the evergreen Joe Ingles notched his first bucket of the game, with a stepback midrange jumper over a heavy contest.

In an effort to keep the ball rolling, Oduro took advantage of his physicality and excellent touch, continuing his efficient form by dropping in successive buckets to cut Melbourne’s deficit to one. 

A deficit which quickly turned into a lead, as Oduro’s compatriot Anthony snuck inside for a gorgeous finish at the ring. 

After a quick Taipans run snatched them back the advantage, Luke Travers imposed his will on the game, using his freakish athleticism to blitz past the Taipans defence for two of his own. 

Another strong stretch from the away side had United chasing a 34-42 deficit with three minutes left. In response, United went on an 8-0 run over the next minute and a half, tying the game with 90 seconds left in the period, demonstrating their potential for dominance on both sides of the ball. 

Back and forth scoring in the last minute left the boys in blue down 47-46 going into the break. 

The second half kicked off with Anthony getting his 20th point of the game, this time dropping in an easy deuce off a pump fake that sent a Taipans defender flying. 

Soon after, Machar gave the home crowd a serious case of Deja-Vu, exploding for a six-point solo run that included a corner three and an and-1 layup, bringing United back into the lead.

By the halfway mark of the period, United had a healthy 69-62 lead. Sparked by individual brilliance from Anthony, and some cohesive team defence, the home side were in flow state, ready to take the game over. 

Riding the momentum, Iron-man Kyle Bowen got in on the action in his 111th consecutive NBL game, putting in an emphatic dunk and slick reverse finish for four points, to extend United’s advantage to 12 late in the third. 

Following a pair of buckets from the Taipans, Tom Wilson etched the scoreboard for his first points of the game, knocking down a pull up jumpshot as time ticked to close an excellent quarter of hoops for United. 

Anthony turned John Cain into scorched earth in the period, scoring 16 points on 6/8 shooting from the field, setting the table for his team going into clutch time with an 81-72 lead. 

A slow start for United, and a quick start for Cairns, erased Melbourne's hard work, as the away team went on an 11-0 run to take the lead two minutes into the final period. 

It was Anthony’s scoring prowess, as he dropped in another pull-up jumper, that stopped the bleeding for his team. 

With desperation setting in, Travers’ activity on the offensive glass was rewarded with a bucket, as he put the ball back on the ring and in, instilling hope for a winning effort in the closing minutes. 

Anthony’s relentless rim pressure continued right to the end, as he dropped in his 16th free throw and 40th point of the night with two minutes left, to close out a prolific outing for the guard, a season high for any NBL player thus far. 

Despite a strong effort, late game scoring struggles for United meant they left John Cain with a tough 95-107 loss on the back end of their first double-header of the season. 

United's next opportunity will come on Wednesday 7 October when they head on the road to take on the 36ers in Adelaide as part of the 2026-27 Ignite Cup. The game will be live on ESPN from 7:30pm.

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