Aron Baynes, Mayen ejected as Taipans beat Bullets

The Cairns Taipans have survived a late Brisbane Bullets fightback to triumph 89-86 in a fiery NBL clash during which ex-NBA centre Aron Baynes and Lat Mayen were ejected.

The Bullets trailed by 16 points in the last term in Brisbane on Saturday night but 16 fourth-quarter points from Nathan Sobey helped them come within one point in the final minute.

But a famous Brisbane win was not to be with Isaac White missing a long-range shot that could have tied the scores in the last four seconds.

An ugly incident involving Bullets centre Baynes and Taipans forward Mayen distracted from Sobey's on-court heroics.

Baynes needed to be held back as he confronted the referee to protest contact from Mayen, with whom he had become entangled late in the second quarter.

A furious Baynes repeatedly yelled "what's that?" as he walked towards the referee.

Match officials told the Bullets bench: "If (Baynes) continues, he's going to get ejected ... this is not in the respect of the game."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aron Baynes and Lat Mayen have both been ejected after several altercations in tonight&#39;s game. <a href="https://t.co/zf5nwUylNz">pic.twitter.com/zf5nwUylNz</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1710605532158198068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Baynes and Mayen received technical fouls, with the Bullets bench receiving a tech of its own after Baynes carried on yelling at the referees once substituted out.

On closer inspection of video footage at halftime, match officials concluded Mayen had elbowed Baynes in the face during the contact, sparking his irate reaction.

Broadcast vision showed Mayen and Baynes confronting one another again as they left for the half-time break. Both were ejected before play began in the third quarter.

The stoush came after Cairns dominated the first half, capitalising on another slow start from the Bullets.

But just when the Bullets appeared shot, Sobey (31 points, two rebounds) and Chris Smith (12 points, three rebounds) clicked into gear.

Sobey had one last chance to give the Bullets their first lead of the evening but could not break through the tight Taipans defence for the game-winner in the dying seconds.

The Bullets were left to rue giving up 13-2 runs in both the first and third quarters that left them with too much work to do.

For the Taipans, Swedish teenager Bobi Klintman (19 points, six rebounds) was again instrumental, as was import Patrick Miller (21 points, five assists).

Cairns import Tahjere McCall recovered from a hip injury for his first minutes of the season but was largely kept quiet.

The Taipans finished 89-86 winners.