Basketball On The Internet.

ADAM Forde didn't have to travel to Perth to experience a wild foul and free throw disparity for his team when playing the Wildcats. He got to enjoy it right at home and as a New Year's Eve present, Cairns going down 78-84 to the perennial powerhouse, despite Majok Deng's new career-high of 27 points.

Anyone who had any doubts about Forde's coaching ability after his ill-fated year at Sydney last season - which included a Kings road loss in Perth where the former Wildcat assistant first brought up the very favourable nature of officiating for the home team in the west - should be putting those misgivings to rest and focusing on how good his Taipans team may yet be.

Like many, I had Cairns battling Tasmania for ultimate 2022 occupancy of the bomb shelter but I now see them as a sleeper threat for the Final Four.

OK, it's still a small sample size admittedly but losing to Perth in Perth 67-90 in the opening round only served to reinforce the stereotype the Snakes were again going to be slithering among the shoes of the better teams.

And yes, beating Tasmania 69-62 evoked memories of the Aaron Fearne dour-scoring years.

But at the precise moment many were starting to notice the 36ers, Cairns smacked Adelaide by 26. That was after taking a foot off the pedal when the buffer was out to 40 points. 40!

Here's the rub for that one. The Taipans were without arguably their best player Scott Machado and a couple of very useful contributors in Mirko Djeric and Jordan Ngatai. Yet they made Adelaide look second-rate. Third rate. Fourth rate. Irate.

Again, you can make the argument the Sixers were not high in your preseason considerations and neither was Tasmania.

But going into the clash with a Perth now finally reinforced by priority playmaker Mitch Norton and No.1 choice centre Matt Hodgson, Cairns lost its current best player Tahjere McCall (above) after he hyperextended his left knee during the morning shoot around.

Yes. Gameday and out goes Quick-Draw McCall, sidelined now with Machado, Djeric also still on the sidelines.

Yet Cairns comes out on a 13-0 tear! OK, it's not the 26-0 of Melbourne crushing Sydney but it's a hell of a good start when you're down your two most prolific imports.

Take Bryce Cotton and Vic Law out of the Wildcats team and see how often they start 13-0 against a potential grand finalist, or push that out to 23-5.

The lead was reduced to 14 by the first break before the Wildcats claimed the second period 33-22, Cotton at his most explosive best for 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting with four 3-pointers. He closed the night on 29 points and six assists.

Luke Travers also finished strongly at both ends of the floor, compiling 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals and four blocks. One of his baskets was positively Jordanesque, catching the ball in his right hand, switching it to his left in mid-air for the bucket. Spectacular.

Vic Law played Tonto to Cotton's Lone Ranger as the effort finally caught with Cairns.

But watching from afar and with no stake in the game, the officiating did the Taipans no favours whatsoever, Nate Jawai as usual treated like a travelling salesman and the Snakes called for 20 fouls to 12.

An even foul count is never necessarily a barometer of a well-refereed game, but the free throw disparity - Cairns shot 16 free throws to Perth's 28 - was substantial.

It meant the efforts of Deng in delivering a career-best 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting - topping the 23 he landed in KO'ing Adelaide last round - Bul Kuol's 13 points and four assists while defending Cotton, and Stephen Zimmerman's 12 point, nine-rebound haul all were left unrequited.

But a word of warning. Don't sleep on the Snakes. Or Adam Forde.

PERTH WILDCATS 84 (Cotton 29, Law 17, Travers 10; Majok 8 rebs; Cotton 6 assts) d CAIRNS TAIPANS 78 (Deng 27, Kuol 13, Zimmerman 12; Zimmerman 8 rebs; Kenny, Noi, Kuol 4 assts) at Snake Charmer Hall, Cairns Convention Centre. Crowd: 4,339

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THE only other game now still scheduled for Round 5 - COVID is a bitch - is Melbourne in Tasmania today.

Given the ongoing struggles Will Magnay is experiencing, the fact the JackJumpers' imports are only at an OK level and the roster - bar possibly Jack McVeigh - is comprised of back-up and role players, it is really difficult to foresee an upset here.

* * *

THE officiating did the Taipans no favours against Perth, apart from one blatantly stupid unsportsmanlike foul against Jesse Wagstaff.

The Wildcats forward slipped on Stephen Zimmerman's foot and fell into the path of Majok Deng, copping a USF after his forced stumble caused him to shift below Deng who was on the rise for a basket.

Total 100 per cent accident.

Yes, rave on about how it falls under the jurisdiction of a USF blah blah but whatever happened to commonsense officiating? That went out with Bill Mildenhall, Ray Hunt, Mal Cooper and Co.

Tunnelling? 

Just misfortune but a chance to go to the "Replay Centre" where a team of pedants are scurrying about looking to give Vaughan "Which Camera Am I On?" Mayberry another shot at stardom.

Nathan Sobey no doubt was shaking his head too.

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ROUND 4 RESULTS

THIS is the loss which may come back to haunt New Zealand if it can ever drag itself out of this injury-ravaged doldrum.

Import Jeremiah Martin, coming off the bench, showed his bona fides with a 24-point, eight assist return and Yanni Wetzell enjoyed a 20-point, 10-board double-double.

But with Fabian Krslovic adding some punch off the bench and Clint Steindl driving his team with 4-of-5 triples, Tasmania led from go-to-whoa and by as many as 19 before staving off the Breakers' last hurrah. 

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS 84 (Adams 21, Steindl 14, Krslovic 11, McDaniel 10; McVeigh, McDaniel 6 rebs; Magette 7 assts) d NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS 75 (Martin 24, Wetzell 20, Delany 10; Wetzell 10 rebs; Martrin 8 assts) at the Anthill, MyState Bank Arena. Crowd: 4,623

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CALEB Agada put on a show in Sydney, scoring 24 points at 55 per cent, snatching 14 rebounds, with three assists, four steals and three blocks.

Yeah, he's listed at 196cm but he would be 190 on his tippy-toes at best. 

He was superb and Sydney a shambles when it mattered, with a nine-point final period and some crazy decision-making. Maybe coach Chase Buford needs a few more secret signals.

MELBOURNE UNITED 82 (Agada 24, Goulding 20, Lual-Acuil 12; Agada 14 rebs; Dellavedova 4 assts) d SYDNEY KINGS 68 (Martin 19, Cooks 12, Swaka Lo Buluk 10; Cooks 10 rebs; Cooks 4 assts) at the Kingdome, Qudos Bank Arena. Crowd: 4,725