Basketball On The Internet.

SYDNEY responded to a week of scrutiny - including from a couple of ex-NBA 7-foot part-owners - to stomp on the JackJumpers in Hobart before Cairns this round was on the right end of a late disallowed basket, Mitch Norton's three for the win deemed too late to save Brisbane. 

Criticised for their defensive passivity, the Kings still gave up 24 points in the first quarter as Tasmania continued to show its ball movement and willingness to make the extra pass is part of the formula for success.

Defence, of course, is the secret to success and Sydney turned up the heat in the second quarter. It took until 5:12 of the period before Milton Doyle scored to take Tasmania to 26 behind the Kings' 30, ending the visitors' 9-0 run.

But the scoring still dried up, Anthony Drmic leaping after a loose ball, diving on the floor to flick it to Doyle who lobbed to Marcus Lee for a sweet dunk.

It was hard going for the JackJumpers, contained to a paltry nine points for the period, giving Sydney the breathing space it ultimately rode to the final siren.

Jack McVeigh and Jordon Crawford eventually had the scoreboard ticking but this was after Jonah Bolden swished two 3-pointers, Jaylin Galloway uncorked a couple of bombs and Jaylen Adams was scoring or dishing.

Tasmania threatened repeatedly in the second half, Sean MacDonald with consecutive threes. But Sydney always had the answers.

Alex Toohey twice strolled down the lane for easy buckets and this was after the JJs had battled it back to within a point at 63-64 on a Crawford three.

Denzel Valentine had a seven-point purple patch which pushed Sydney to 69-63 but it was Galloway's dunk for 82-72 just outside the last two minutes which put the equation out of the Ants' reach.

Galloway had a career-high 22 points in a convincing Kings win and one their credibility sorely needed.   

SYDNEY KINGS 90 (Galloway 22, Adams 15, Hunter 13, Hogg, Valentine 11; Valentine 7 rebs; Adams 10 assts) d TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 82 (McVeigh 23, Crawford 22, Doyle 11, MacDonald 10; McVeigh 7 rebs; MacDonald, Doyle 3 assts) at Mystate Bank Arena. Crowd: 4,340

A WEEK ago in Cairns, Jonah Antonio's halfcourt 3-point heave which would have tied the game with Sydney was deemed a millisecond too late.

Yesterday in Brisbane, it was Mitch Norton's triple for a massive come-from-behind 104-102 win over Cairns that was ruled too late.

In both cases the calls were correct, only this time it preserved a 102-101 Taipans victory they seemed desperate to throw away once the Bullets pushed their defensive pressure into the full court.

Cairns had looked a million dollars for much of the game, opening by equalling their season-best first quarter score in a 35-17 rout.

Sam Mennenga, so solid last round, relished his new role as a starter and rewarded Adam Forde with a career-high 18 points at 58 per cent, including three 3-point missiles.

Tahjere McCall had himself a day out with 25 points at 64 per cent, including 2-of-2 threes, nine assists, three rebounds and two steals before fouling out late.

Also finding his range, and his temperament after several weeks in a literal foul mood, Bul Kuol iced 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting with 4-of-7 threes.

Cairns was simply having its way with a wayward Brisbane, Isaac White offering more than token resistance, twice dragging the deficit back to 10.

He did it again in the third quarter as the Taipans figuratively took their feet off the pedal. (Of course, Taipans slither and don't have feet, which would explain it.)

Instead, with a little firing up by Rocco Zikarsky blocking everything in sight, Brisbane then went into the final stanza playing up-tempo, pressing defence and Cairns began to feel the pressure. 

A string of turnovers and poor decisions opened the door for the harassing Bullets to rally, Nathan Sobey, Norton, Sam McDaniel and White leading the charge, Tyrell Harrison also adding some tidy moments as the crowd found full voice. 

Pat Miller and McCall both made errors going for hero plays as the Bullets snuck ever closer until the last play which, had Norton received the ball a fraction of a second earlier, would have meant Brisbane finished with a whopping 37-point quarter.

Instead it was 34-23 and not quite enough to deny a Taipans team which was the better side for three periods at least.  

CAIRNS TAIPANS 102 (McCall 25, Kuol 19, Mennenga 18, Miller 17, Waardenburg 13; Armstrong, Waardenburg 7 rebs; McCall 9 assts) d BRISBANE BULLETS 101 (Sobey 24, Bannan 15, White, Norton 13, McDaniel 12; Bannan 10 rebs; McDaniel 3 assts) at Nissan Arena. Crowd: 4,722