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IT was most definitely the "Night of the Gaks", with Cairns' Akoldah Gak setting career-highs with a 21-point, 14-rebound double and South East Melbourne's Gorjok Gak leading the Phoenix with 11 boards. But it was a night to forget for the Adelaide 36ers, before the Wildcats pantsed the Phoenix in Perth.

The Sixers started the game looking like millionaires but finished it as paupers with Taipans players such as Gak producing career games and Josh Roberts again the height of efficiency.

Roberts had 12 points in 12 minutes on 5-of-5 shooting, sticking his one 3-point attempt and single bonus free throw attempt, with four rebounds, an assist and a block.

Like Gak, Roberts was a vital contributor as Cairns went into the game without Sam Waardenburg and Jonah Antonio, had Bul Kuol, Lat Mayen and Taran Armstrong all foul out and Sam Mennenga playing just four minutes.

If ever the Taipans were vulnerable at home, this game was it. It's how it started too, Adelaide opening with 15 unanswered points and still up by 11 (89-78) inside the last seven minutes of regulation.

Isaac Humphries was en route to a career-high 28 points (plus 11 rebounds, two steals and a block) but he should have scored far more had his teammates utilised his massive keyway presence.

Instead selfishness took over, players repeatedly calling him out of the key to set screens in pick-and-roll situations to rattle up their own shots.

On the block, Humphries was unstoppable but as the Taipans closed in the last quarter, Adelaide's personnel combinations became questionable and unless Jacob Wiley (23 minutes) was injured, his prolonged stint on the sidelines was unforgivable.

Kyrin Galloway was in way over his head and committed a turnover, sandwiched between a pair of lost possessions by a Kell slipping into a hero mode the 36ers not only did not need but surely did not want.

Meanwhile Tahjere McCall, penalised early for one of the year's most diabolical and hilarious flops and punished also by Nick Marshall with an open 3-pointer as a result of Macca's histrionics, steadily took control of the game.

His 30 points came on 10-of-19 shooting, with 3-of-5 threes and 7-of-7 free throws courtesy of him taking it right at the Adelaide defenders.

McCall even tickled a triple-double, compiling eight defensive rebounds and nine assists to go with two steals and a block.

Partner-in-primetime, Pat Miller bobbed up with 25 points and eight assists, scoring nine of them in the final period and six in overtime, McCall with 13 in the last period and the extension.

Gak's dunk tied it at 94-94 and when he opened the scoring in the five-minute extension, that initiated an 8-0 run featuring both McCall and Miller and from 102-94 ahead, Cairns was never dropping this.    

Adelaide mustered a pathetic 12 points (to 22) in the final quarter and seven points to 17 in the overtime, down 99-111 before Vasiljevic hit the game's last shot.

Kell was 4-of-16 from the floor and Vasiljevic 5-of-16 as Adelaide unravelled under pressure. If only the 36ers hadn't switched from their 1999 replica jerseys to their white-flag road strip.  

CAIRNS TAIPANS 111 (McCall 30, Miller 25, Gak 21, Roberts 12; Gak 14 rebs; McCall 9 assts) d ADELAIDE 36ERS 101 (Humphries 28, Kell 25, Vasiljevic 19; Humphries 11 rebs; Kell 3 assts) in overtime {94-94} at Cairns Convention Centre. Crowd: 4,659 

THERE was only one name in Perth and it was Bryce Cotton. His father visiting from the US and sitting in the stands, Cotton further elevated a game already out of the reach of the rest of the mere mortals inhabiting the NBL.

His 34 points came at 50 per cent - he missed a few with his arm tiring - and included 7-of-13 threes and 5-of-5 frees. Cotton's stat line also had six rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Imports Abdel Nader and Gary Browne still sidelined by injury, this always was going to be a massive challenge for a South East Melbourne team struggling to stay relevant and needing role players such as Matt Kenyon and Reuben Te Rangi to step up.

Kenyon's 31 minutes yielded zero points on 0-of-4 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, two turnovers and two fouls. Te Rangi enjoyed four points on 1-of-4 shooting, three rebounds, one assist, two turnovers and two fouls in 33 minutes.

If not for Mitch Creek's 36 points at 60 per cent and seven rebounds, and Alan Williams' 12-point, 10-rebound double, this could have been even uglier than it panned out.

Phoenix coach Mike Kelly gambled early on Owen Foxwell harassing Cotton but the Wildcats superstar had 26 points by halftime, that initial plan long since abandoned.

Tai Webster was on his way to 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting - his best return as a Wildcat - and David Okwera relished his minutes in Alex Sarr's absence.

Ahead 56-39 at halftime, Perth figuratively took its foot off the pedal in the third but was never truly threatened. Phoenix pivot Gorjok Gak seized his chances to grab a game-high 11 rebounds in a mere 13:37 of action before he fouled out.

But with Keanu Pinder throwing down a wicked dunk and Jordan Usher scoring his 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, it was a party in Perth the Phoenix never looked capable of gate-crashing.

PERTH WILDCATS 100 (Cotton 34, T.Webster 20, Pinder 13, Usher 10; Okwera, Wagstaff, Pinder, Cotton 6 rebs; T.Webster 4 assts) d SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 79 (Creek 36, Williams 12, Ayre 10; Gak 11 rebs; Ayre 4 assts) at RAC Arena. Crowd: 12,859