The Brisbane Bullets had Cairns within reach, Nate Hinton was having his best scoring night of the season, and Tyrell Harrison was almost unstoppable beneath the basket. Yet with barely a minute remaining, Jack McVeigh helped turn a one-point contest into a 97–91 Taipans victory, leaving Brisbane with a third consecutive NBL defeat.
Hinton’s three-pointer had brought the Bullets within 92–91 at the Cairns Convention Centre on Thursday night, 8 October. Brisbane had fought their way back from an early deficit, led at half-time and even seized a four-point advantage in the final quarter. After all that work, one more defensive stop might have given them the chance to win.
McVeigh made sure they never got it.
The former NBA forward, who had already revived Cairns with a burst of fourth-quarter scoring, found Jonah Bolden open for a three-pointer with 51 seconds remaining. He then supplied Keanu Pinder for a lay-up in the closing seconds, completing the five unanswered points that settled the first Sunshine Stoush of the NBL27 season.
Twenty-two extra chances beneath the basket
What made the defeat particularly difficult for Brisbane was the extraordinary advantage they had created on the boards.
Harrison finished with 23 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks, repeatedly giving Cairns problems around the rim. Alongside him, Max Mackinnon collected 13 rebounds and contributed five assists, helping the Bullets finish with a commanding 55–37 advantage in total rebounds.
Twenty-two of those came at the offensive end, allowing Brisbane to attempt 17 more field goals than their opponents. For much of the night, the Bullets could miss a shot, recover the ball and begin another attack.
But those additional possessions rarely translated into the reward Brisbane needed. The visitors shot just 42 per cent from the field and made only eight of their 33 three-point attempts, compared with Cairns’ 14 from 35 beyond the arc.
Hinton did everything he could to overcome that disparity. He scored 16 points before half-time and finished with a game-high 30, repeatedly attacking the defence and providing the offensive spark whenever Brisbane threatened to lose touch.
A lead that wouldn’t stay put
Cairns had the better of the opening exchanges, with a 10–0 scoring run helping the home side establish a 23–17 quarter-time lead. Jaylon Brown was proving difficult to contain, eventually scoring 21 of his 25 points before half-time.
Brisbane’s response came in a second quarter in which their offence finally found its rhythm. Harrison’s presence inside complemented Hinton’s scoring, and the Bullets shot 13 from 21 from the field during the period. Their 33-point quarter was enough to take a 50–47 lead into the main break.
The advantage did not survive the third term. Cairns found more scoring support, including from Reyne Smith, while Bolden became increasingly influential after entering the second-half starting five. Despite collecting another eight offensive rebounds, Brisbane managed just 22 points for the quarter and trailed 74–72 with ten minutes remaining.
There was still plenty of fight in the visitors. Six unanswered points to open the fourth put Brisbane ahead 78–74, and for a time it appeared their persistence on the boards might finally carry them home.
McVeigh had other ideas.
McVeigh turns the final quarter
With Cairns needing a response, McVeigh buried consecutive three-pointers with 5:53 and 5:32 remaining. A dunk less than a minute later completed an eight-point burst that put the Taipans ahead 88–83 and brought the home crowd into the contest.
Brisbane answered through Mackinnon’s three-pointer and continued to work through Harrison, whose late dunk came from an excellent Arnas Velička pass. Hinton then struck from outside to cut the margin to a single point with 1:13 left.
That was as close as the Bullets would get.
McVeigh’s two final assists completed a remarkable fourth quarter in which he scored ten of his 15 points. His seven assists also reflected the influence he had beyond his own shooting, while Brown’s 25 points and Bolden’s 16 gave Cairns the scoring support needed to survive Brisbane’s repeated challenges.
For the Boondall-based Bullets, the loss leaves them with a 2–3 record after opening their campaign with consecutive victories. They return to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Thursday, 15 October, to face South East Melbourne Phoenix, with a full week to address the shooting problems that have accompanied their recent defeats.
Harrison and Hinton had given Brisbane more than enough to work with in Cairns. The Bullets won the rebounding contest by 18, manufactured possession after possession and remained within one shot of victory deep into the final minute.
They had almost everything they needed to win. Cairns had the finishing touch.
Game Details
Competition: 2026–27 NBL Season, Round 4
Date: Thursday, 8 October 2026
Venue: Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns
Final Score: Cairns Taipans 97 defeated Brisbane Bullets 91
Quarter-by-quarter (cumulative):
First Quarter: Cairns 23–17 Brisbane
Half-time: Brisbane 50–47 Cairns
Three-quarter time: Cairns 74–72 Brisbane
Full-Time: Cairns 97–91 Brisbane
Leading Scorers:
Brisbane Bullets: Nate Hinton — 30 points; Tyrell Harrison — 23 points, 18 rebounds
Cairns Taipans: Jaylon Brown — 25 points; Jonah Bolden — 16 points; Jack McVeigh — 15 points, 7 assists
Brisbane Bullets’ Season Record: 2 wins, 3 losses
Next Match: Brisbane Bullets vs South East Melbourne Phoenix — Thursday, 15 October 2026, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall.
Published 8-Oct-2026
