By Fraser Barton
Cairns have booked a NBL semi-finals series with reigning champions Sydney following a 91-78 do-or-die victory over Perth behind DJ Hogg’s enormous performance.
Hogg tallied a season-high 32 points to go with nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and plus 32, in a game a wounded Taipans were without their second and third leading scoring options in Keanu Pinder and Tahjere McCall.
DJ Hogg of the Taipans
drives up court under pressure from Brady Manek of the Wildcats.Credit:Getty
Pinder remains sidelined due to an orbital fracture while McCall missed Sunday’s contest due a partial shoulder dislocation suffered in their Thursday seeding qualifier loss to Tasmania.
With the weight of Far North Queensland on his shoulders, Hogg got going early in their offensive sets and found a rhythm he wouldn’t lose as the Taipans stifled a late surge for a shot at the NBL finals starting on Wednesday.
Cairns had a clear game plan for MVP runner-up and Wildcats star Bryce Cotton, who finished with just 19 points – below his season average of 23.5, running the electric guard off the three-point line and forcing him into facilitating.
Cotton had nine points at quarter time but only two more in the first half as Hogg torched the Wildcats all over the court.
Perth were tardy on their switching and opened up passing lanes to the basket which Hogg and Sam Waardenburg (15 points) would punish.
Cairns led 25-19 through 10 minutes on 50 per cent shooting from the field and their splits would improve in the second term when Hogg and Shannon Scott hit back-to-back three-pointers to give Cairns their first double-digit lead of the game.
A beautifully drawn up play gave Mitch Norton a wide open three and suddenly momentum swung the way of the Wildcats and they were within five just minutes before the half.
It was Hogg’s time to shine again – a long three followed by an even deeper bomb from near half court brought his tally to 21 points on just 11 shots as the Taipans took a nine-point margin into the second half.
Perth fought hard to narrow the margin to seven early in the third quarter before Cairns went on another run and led by 16 as the result looked to be getting away from the visitors.
The Wildcats’ eight-to-zip run silenced a raucous crowd who could feel a semi-final berth at their fingertips and the pandemonium continued when Hogg blocked Cotton to end the third and have 28 points through 30 minutes of action.
Ultimately, the deficit was too large to overcome for Perth as the Taipans’ impressive 51 per cent shooting saw them through the final term with Bul Kuol (23 points) clutch down the stretch.
AAP
