Keanu Pinder's NBL career-best masterclass has piloted the fast-finishing Cairns Taipans to a 91-82 victory over the Tasmania JackJumpers in Hobart.
The third-placed Taipans trailed by five points midway through the final quarter on Saturday before uncorking a withering 16-2 burst to win and advance to a 10-5 season record, one win shy of ladder leaders Sydney Kings and New Zealand Breakers.
MVP candidate Pinder amassed 34 points, his personal best NBL haul and the most by any player this season, while captain Tahjere McCall (23 points) was particularly influential in his side's 20-10 final-quarter flourish.
"It's our identity - it's who we are," Taipans coach Adam Forde said proudly, lauding his side's refusal to surrender.
"We've had a couple games where we've had to come back from 11-plus down and we do it on the defensive end."
"It (fourth quarter) was (about) getting it done on the defensive end and executing on the offensive end.
"Guys made some big-time plays."
Jack McVeigh top-scored for the JackJumpers with 17 points, despite surprisingly sitting out much of the first term and the entire second stanza.
The JackJumpers held sway 24-21 at the end of a topsy-turvy opening quarter which comprised nine lead changes before having the better of the second period.
Rashard Kelly's triple on the halftime buzzer stretched the hot-shooting home side's cushion to 52-45.
Tasmania's buffer was out to nine points before Taipans import DJ Hogg, who was well held early, sparked an 11-0 spree to put Cairns in front.
The lead continued to change hands either side of three-quarter-time, before triples to Milton Doyle and McVeigh made it 80-75.
The Snakes responded in unstoppable fashion.
Pinder and McCall spearheaded a 11-0 run to give the visitors the lead back and Shannon Scott added to it with a late trey.
"The ball got quite stagnant for us in the fourth quarter," JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said.
"We didn't make any shots and we weren't able to contain them very much in the last two or three minutes.
"We had opportunities but they were just better than us."
