Basketball On The Internet.

ANY way you look at it, last night was a lose-lose for the 36ers and Taipans in Cairns.

The Taipans needed to win by more than 11 to steal the season-series. They won by six.

The 36ers needed to win to keep New Zealand at bay. They lost.

In fact the only team celebrating the result in Cairns would have been the Breakers who now only need to beat the Taipans tomorrow to formally end their season once and for all.

WORTHO OPEN: Mark Worthington hits a three for the 91-81 lead with 90 seconds left.

Sure, if Cairns wins and a whole bunch of other results go its way - we can walk through it here tomorrow - the Taipans CAN still slip into the four.

But beating Adelaide by more than 11 would have solved a great many problems, Mark Worthington (24 points) hitting a 3-pointer for 91-81 with 1:30 left.

(The word is he wasn't quite as sharp getting out of bed this morning, missing the Taipans' flight to Auckland ...)

Trying to get the margin to 12 though opened the door for Adelaide to come racing back, the deficit at a winnable 89-91 for the 36ers with 21 seconds left. 

Torrey Craig then iced it from the line giving neither team the desired result.

IN Perth, the Wildcats achieved their desired result with backup centre Tom Jervis enjoying a career game, producing his most points (23) and assists (6), along with a match-best 13 boards for a 95-81 win over Sydney.

Josh Childress started resembling his former self with 30 points but anyone expecting an upset was, well, as they'd say in The Castle: "Tell him he's dreaming."

Tonight: KIRK Penney will be back playing limited minutes tonight. But whether he plays five or 15, his presence should  buoy his Illawarra teammates and remind them where they belong in the NBL pecking order. Have no doubt Townsville will be readier to play this time than in any of its previous reversals to the Hawks. But the W will go to Illawarra cementing its top four spot. Yeah, that's right. Adelaide and New Zealand still can catch the Hawks but a win at The Sandpit ends that prospect.

Last night CAIRNS TAIPANS 95 (Worthington 24, Gliddon 19, Burston, Starks, Craig 10; Burston, Craig 6 rebs; Worthington 4 assts) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 89 (Gibson 21, Creek 18, Petrie 17, Walker 12, Johnson 10; Walker, Creek 8 rebs; Gibson 5 assts) at The Orangegrove, Cairns Convention Centre. PERTH WILDCATS 95 (Wagstaff, Jervis 23, Redhage 16, Knight 12; Jervis 13 rebs; Jervis 6 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 81 (Childress 30, Brandt 16, Cadee 14, Thornton 12; Brandt 7 rebs; Cadee 4 assts) at The Jungle, Perth Arena.