Armstrong thankful to Taipans, Forde

Taran Armstrong feels he couldn't have picked a better destination than the Cairns Taipans or coach than Adam Forde to develop under, highlighted by becoming the first player this NBL season to record a triple-double.

When Armstrong decided to leave California Baptist University after two years, he settled on joining the Taipans feeling his development and growth would be in the best hands of coach Forde.

Now with one game to go in his second season with the Snakes and Armstrong couldn’t be happier with the decision and the trust and faith that Forde has put in him to be his starting point guard.

Nothing illustrated just how far Armstrong has come than what he did in Thursday night's win at home over Brisbane where he became the only player this season to have a triple-double.

He finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He only robbed himself of a rare 30-point triple-double with two late missed free throws but it was a perfect showcase of his full array of talents.

What it also was a showcase of what Armstrong has been doing for a lot of this season and at 23 years of age, why he's still only scratching his surface of what he's capable of with the NBA a genuine possibility in the near future.

There is a chance that Thursday night's win will be his last game in Cairns and he wanted to thank the Taipans and more specifically Forde for helping him get to the point he is now at.

"Cairns has been such an important part of my journey. It's gonna get more and more difficult for guys to walk out of college and get the opportunity that I was so fortunate to receive," Armstrong said.

"I was starting as a point guard straight out of college and only after two years so I was young but all of that is a massive credit to Fordey for trusting and instilling a lot of belief in me.

"Especially during that first year when I wasn’t great and I don’t think I played that well, but I obviously showed something for him to be willing to double down and back me in again for another year.

"The belief from your coach and the confidence your coach can give you can do a lot, and I can't say I've had a coach that does it better than Fordey."

Given the rarity of triple-doubles in the NBL, it will be an occasion for Armstrong to savour what he accomplished against the Bullets on Thursday night.

Once his teammates became aware he was close, they did their best to help ensure he got there and it was a close call when he collected his 10th rebound off the defensive glass with 13 seconds remaining.

It's the first time an NBL player has had a triple-double since Trey Kell III did it on New Year's Eve in 2023, but what meant even more to Armstrong was finishing the season at home with back-to-back wins for the Orange Army.

"The fans are super deserving and obviously it's been difficult, but to finish it off the right way is really important," Armstrong said.

"It doesn’t make up for things that have happened but you have to continue to carry yourself the right way all the way to the end, and I think we did a good job of that.

"Also the season is winding down and you never know what guys you're going to play with again or not. For me a big part of it is playing with these boys again with everything coming to an end.

"It was a big motivator getting to enjoy sharing the floor with these guys so it was really fun."

While it was an uplifting way for the Taipans to finish their season in front of the home fans, Armstrong has quickly turned his focus to performing back in his home state on Saturday to close the season against the Tasmania JackJumpers.

"I have a lot of tickets for that game and I'll have a lot of people there," Armstrong said.

"I love playing down there and it will be another game whether they're out of contention or whatever is happening with them.

"But either way I get to play basketball and playing basketball at home in front of people I love is really cool."