Bul Kuol fired in 23 points as Cairns Taipans withstood a late challenge from the struggling Brisbane Bullets to claim an 85-76 NBL victory in the all-Queensland battle.
The Taipans held the lead for the majority of Wednesday night's clash at Cairns Convention Centre but were forced to navigate some anxious moments after the Bullets recovered from a 15-point deficit in the closing stages.
Late baskets from Nathan Sobey and Gorjok Gak reduced the margin to six points inside two minutes to play, and Sobey missed an opportunity to make it a one-possession game with an off-target three-point attempt.
But Taj McCall and Kuol iced the game from the free-throw line as the Taipans claimed their ninth win of the season to remain on track for a return to the NBL playoffs after a two-year absence.
While Kuol's 23 points came in just 24 minutes on court and teammates DJ Hogg, Keanu Pinder and McCall each finished in double figures, coach Adam Forde expressed a level of frustration with his side's progress at the offensive end of the floor.
"It's nothing to do with the personnel because we're very capable, it's trying to get key guys in particular positions and I want to be further down the track than where we are," Forde said after the win.
"The good thing is we've got a string of games coming up, that's going to help us build a bit of momentum."
Already languishing in ninth spot on the ladder with a 4-9 record, Brisbane's turbulent season took another twist with Greg Vanderjagt stepping in as head coach on Tuesday after Sam Mackinnon relinquished the interim role to focus on his duties as general manager of basketball.
In the moments after his coaching debut, Vanderjagt admitted that the turmoil over the decision-making processes at the club had become an unwelcome distraction but he remained fully committed to working with the playing group and finding consistency.
"My concern is for (Nathan) Sobey and the rest of the group, for their welfare and well-being. The distractions are frustrating, there's no doubt about that, for the group," Vanderjagt said following Brisbane's fifth loss in the past six games.
"They've been through a lot over the course of this season, over the course of the last couple of years."
After passing a late fitness test to take his place in the squad, Aron Baynes top-scored for the Bullets with 17 points, including a run of eight straight points as part of a promising 11-3 start, while Gak continued his recent development to finish with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
