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The Cairns Taipans beat Melbourne United 107–95 at John Cain Arena on Saturday, October 3, 2026. After trailing by 12 points in the third quarter, Cairns outscored Melbourne 35–14 in the fourth to seal the upset. Cole Anthony scored 40 for Melbourne, but Cairns had four players reach 20 points.
How Cairns beat Melbourne United
Melbourne led 79–67 after a third-quarter run sparked by Malith Machar. Cairns responded with a 13–0 burst that began late in the third and continued into the fourth quarter. Jaylon Brown’s three-pointer put the Taipans ahead 83–81, and they controlled the rest of the game.
The defining difference was the final quarter: Cairns scored 35 points to Melbourne’s 14. Those match figures and the sequence of the comeback are from Australian Associated Press reporter Steve Barrett’s October 3, 2026 report.
Top scorers in the game
| Team | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Cairns Taipans | Keanu Pinder | 27 |
| Cairns Taipans | Reyne Smith | 21 |
| Cairns Taipans | Jack McVeigh | 20 |
| Cairns Taipans | Jaylon Brown | 20 |
| Melbourne United | Cole Anthony | 40 |
| Melbourne United | Malith Machar | 14 |
Anthony scored his 40 points in 29 minutes before fouling out in the final minute. Machar’s 14 points were described as a career best in the AAP report. Cairns’ four 20-point scorers gave the Taipans a broader scoring contribution than Melbourne’s leading scorer alone could overcome.
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Melbourne’s lead and Cairns’ response
The report says Anthony missed seven of eight field-goal attempts in the first quarter. Melbourne shot 5-for-18 in that period and trailed 18–14. In the second quarter, the team made 13 of 15 free throws and went into halftime down 47–46.
That early stretch preceded Melbourne’s third-quarter surge and the Taipans’ decisive answer. The reported figures describe this game only; they are not season averages. The report does not provide a separate official box score, so rebounds, assists and additional shooting statistics are not established here.
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What the coaches said
Cairns coach Adam Forde described the team as emotional and high-energy, saying, “We’re an emotional team” and “We are a high-energy team.” He added that he did not want to curb that emotion because the team had to play differently.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallMelbourne coach Jacob Chance said, “We did some really good things in the first half, (then) we lost the game in five minutes.” He also called momentum “a nasty thing in sport” and said Melbourne had not steadied itself when needed. The quotes were published in the syndicated AAP report republished by The Queenslander.
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Match context
At the time of the report, Melbourne was described as having a 1–3 record, while Cairns had climbed from the foot of the ladder. Those are standings details from October 3, 2026, not current records.
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