Cook, Prather shoot Bullets over Taipans

Casey Prather and Keandre Cook combined for 65 points and 10 three-pointers as the Brisbane Bullets kept their impressive recent form going winning a Sunshine Stoush thriller 107-104 over the Cairns Taipans.

The Bullets were back at Brisbane Entertainment Centre looking to maintain pace with the top six having won three of their past four games, but looking to hit back from a fourth quarter drop off on Sunday in Sydney against the Kings.

The Snakes arrived in Brisbane attempting to find a win for the first time since October 6 and what eventuated was quite the entertaining shootout between the Queensland rivals.

Pedro Bradshaw and Rob Edwards combined for 30 points in the first half as the Taipans put up 54 points on 65 per cent shooting, but the Bullets were still up two with Prather and Cook combining for 30.

Brisbane were still only up one by three quarter-time but they confirmed the three-point win even with Cairns fighting to the death and getting back to two with 6.7 seconds left with a three from development player Alex Higgins-Titsha.

Cairns still had a shot to force overtime at the buzzer but Edwards' prayer didn’t go with the Bullets improving to 8-8 despite losing James Batemon to a hamstring injury with Prather finishing with 35 points on 6/9 three-point shooting but struggling late with a back complaint.

Cook also delivered 30 points and six rebounds on 4/12 shooting from deep with Tyrell Harrison ending up with 12 points and five boards, and Batemon nine points and seven assists before his injury.

"A lot happened tonight that we weren't ready for," Brisbane coach Justin Schueller said.

"To find some resolve and get through it, I'm just proud that we stayed with it and found a way."

It was another strongly competitive showing from the now 3-14 Taipans who have lost 13 straight with Edwards finishing with 27 points and five rebounds with 4/10 shooting from deep and Bradshaw 22 points and five rebounds on 4/7.

Higgins-Titsha impressed again with 12 points and six rebounds including going 3/6 from behind the three-point line with Taran Armstrong adding 16 points and five assists, and Tanner Groves 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

"When you look at the box score, what stands out is points off turnover," Cairns coach Adam Forde said.

"We coughed the ball up, made silly errors and they capitalised. The second chance points - they got 16 more shot attempts than us and that was on the back of the o-boards."

The Snakes opened up the contest with three-pointers to Taran Armstrong and Rob Edwards, but the Bullets were leading 13-8 on the back of five straight points from Tyrell Harrison and Casey Prather.

Cairns then went on a 14-0 scoring run on the back of some scintillating shooting with Alex Higgins-Titsha, Edwards, Pedro Bradshaw and Kyrin Galloway all landing from downtown.

That saw the Taipans leading 22-13 but Brisbane again responded with a 10-2 run of their own that included a pair of three balls from Prather and a couple of buckets to the returning Josh Bannan.

Bradshaw and Isaac White traded three-pointers on the buzzer for their respective teams with Cairns leading 30-29 by the end of one before the Taipans managed another nine consecutive points in the second frame to open up a seven-point edge.

Brisbane were able to turn the momentum once more closing the half scoring nine of the last 11 points including at three from Keandre Cook on the buzzer to see the home team leading 56-54 heading into the locker room.

The Snakes were shooting at a scorching 65 per cent but the Bullets were leading on the back of attempting 10 extra field goals and six more free-throws with 19 points off the 10 Cairns turnovers.

The Bullets started the second half with six of the first eight points, but then the Taipans responded with the next eight including back-to-back triples from Bradshaw.

Prather then landed three straight three-point bombs himself for Brisbane and just as the Bullets were up five, the Taipans scored nine of 12 points and by three quarter-time the home team were only on top 81-80.

Brisbane then scored six straight points early in the final term but with triples from Edwards and Alex Higgins-Titsha saw Cairns back in front before the momentum shifts continued.

Cook hit another couple of threes for Brisbane either side of a sixth from Prather for the team to push the Bullets lead back out to four. Tohi Smith-Milner gave Prather a breather and hit a three of his own to make the lead five and from there the Bullets confirmed the three-point home win.

The Bullets will now travel to Adelaide to take on the 36ers on Christmas Eve while the Taipans will play host to Melbourne United on Boxing Day.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL SEASON 2024/25

BRISBANE BULLETS 107 (Prather 35, Cook 30, Harrison 12)

CAIRNS TAIPANS 104 (Edwards 27, Bradshaw 22, Armstrong 16)

BOX SCORE