The Adelaide 36ers will begin a three-game home run with a Christmas Eve clash against Cairns on Wednesday night.
There will be Ignite Cup points up for grabs, and the Sixers will hope to win as many of the seven points on offer to keep their home alive and advance to the finals.
They are currently placed fourth in the Ignite Cup standings with eight points from two games, 10 points behind leaders New Zealand with a game in hand. A win and all seven points would see the Sixers move into the top two.
And they’ll want to try their luck against bottom-of-the-table Taipans Ignite Cup and Hungry Jack’s NBL.
The Sixers have won each of the last five meetings between the teams, including three victories this year – the last in overtime on November 16 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The top-ranked Sixers are coming off a win over Illawarra in Wollongong on Saturday and have a season record of 15-4 while the Taipans are 5-14 and have been unable to string together two wins since round two.
The visitors will come to Adelaide hoping to bounce back from their disappointing 42-point loss to Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
Former Sixer Jack McVeigh has been huge for the Taipans in recent weeks, averaging 29.7 points per game since Matchday 9, making him the highest scoring player in the league.
After signing a two-year contract extension, Sixers forward Zylan Cheatham says his team is full of respect for both McVeigh and the Taipans.
“He’s obviously the head of a snake,” Cheatham said of McVeigh.
“He’s a heck of a player. I mean, he’s had a lot of success in this league and at the highest level too, so he’s definitely someone we have to take note of.
“But they have a lot of dangerous players in their squad.
“They’re playing pretty loose at the moment. They’re coming off a bad loss to Sydney, so I know what it feels like to have a loss like that, and you want to get the next one, so we’ve got to keep that in mind.”
Wednesday’s match kicks off at 5:00 p.m. ACDT.
ADELAIDE 36ERS v CAIRNS TAIPANS
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Wednesday December 24, 5:00 p.m. ACDT
Live on ESPN via Kayo Sports or Disney+
OVERALL
Played 91, Adelaide 51, Cairns 40
At the Adelaide Entertainment Center
Played 10, Adelaide 8, Cairns 2
LAST FIVE GAMES
November 16, 2025 – 36ers 105 defeat Taipans 101 at AEC
October 18, 2025 – 36ers 91 defeat Taipans 86 at Cairns Convention Center
October 2, 2025 – 36ers 110 defeat Taipans 79 at Cairns Convention Center
January 19, 2025 – 36ers 99 defeat Taipans 75 at Cairns Convention Center
October 25, 2024 – 36ers 99 defeat Taipans 93 at AEC
KEY STATS
· Adelaide have won each of their last 14 matches at the Adelaide Entertainment Center playing with an advantage at rest.
· Adelaide have won each of their last four games after trailing at half-time.
· Adelaide has won each of its last seven games by allowing less than 90 points.
· Adelaide have won eight of their last nine matches.
· Adelaide have won each of their last five matches against Cairns.
· Each of the last two matches between Adelaide and Cairns at the Adelaide Entertainment Center went to overtime.
· Cairns have lost the second half in seven of their last eight games after leading at half-time.
· Cairns have lost 13 of their last 16 matches.
· Dejan Vasiljevic has made at least one three-pointer in 39 consecutive appearances – the longest active streak of any player in the league.
· Bryce Cotton has a career average of 25.2 points per game against Cairns – a record against any opponent.
