Suns come back to beat Clippers | 00:51
**Mitch Turner from Newswire**
November 7th, 2025 10:30 pm
The Illawarra Hawks have announced that they are firmly back in finals contention with a big win over the Cairns Taipans in the Far North.
Having slumped to a 2-6 record, the reigning champs were not having the title defence that Justin Tatum would’ve been hoping for early.
But a massive win against a previously undefeated Melbourne United was a long-awaited return to form, and the Hawks backed it up by taking care of business against a struggling and injury-riddled Taipans outfit on Friday night.
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Cairns coach Adam Forde’s starting lineup featured two names that would’ve been lucky to make it into the scouting report just 10 days ago in Lachlan Barker and Mojave King.
And while King in particular had his moments, it was a demonstration of just how creative Forde is having to be to find a way to compete in these games.
He did an excellent job of marshalling the troops in the first half, with the Taipans staying within a possession up until the stroke of half time.
But whether it was a rev up from Tatum or some tactical adjustments in the break, the Hawks had the answers in the third term, extending their lead to double digits by three quarter time.
For the Hawks, this performance was a reminder of why analysts and opponents alike can only count them out at their own peril, with Illawarra now sitting just a game out of the top six.
McGee drops 37-PTS in Hawks upset | 01:21
**McGee the matchup nightmare**
The task of the Hawks’ superstar recruit JaVale McGee is a conundrum few have been able to answer so far this NBL season.
Forde came up with a unique strategy to try and quell the three-time NBA champion, opting to send out Admiral Schofield to guard him early on.
They also threw bigs Marcus Lee and Kyrin Galloway at him, but the 37-year-old had the answers at every turn.
He was imposing on the inside, shooting at a high efficiency and using his gravity to facilitate the offense.
But what was perhaps most startling was that twice the Taipans sagged way off him on the perimeter, begging him to put up a three, and twice he made them pay from beyond the arc.
If McGee is going to be even a semi-competent shooter, there may simply be no way to stop this man when he’s on.
Lakers beat Spurs despite Smart blunder | 01:52
**Mojave finds his mojo**
Thrust into the Snakes’ rotation after being without an NBL team just over a week ago, Mojave King has passed the test with flying colours thus far.
He scored 10 of Cairns’ first 15 points of the night, while also making some crucial hustle plays to give the Taipans some fresh possessions.
But he was even more spectacular in the third term, putting up an additional 11 points that more or less kept his side in the contest.
The New Zealand-born injury replacement for Alex Higgins-Titsha (wrist, out for season) got his start in pro basketball with the Taipans back in the 2020-21 season.
He was the 47th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, spending two seasons in the G-League before taking his talents to his home country with the NZ Breakers last season.
He finished with 32 points - easily an NBL career-high - and looks likely to have found his way into the rotation regardless of who returns for the Snakes in the coming weeks.
While you never want to see an up-and-comer like Higgins-Titsha go down for a significant period of time, King could well be poised to make something of this opportunity.
**Match details:**
Cairns Taipans 90 (King 32, Galloway 15, McVeigh 13)
Illawarra Hawks 107 (McGee 28, Peterson 22, Hickey 19)
Venue: Cairns Convention Centre