Cairns Taipans, New Zealand Breakers consolidate top-two standing

The Cairns Taipans returned to the top of the NBL ladder on Sunday with a 63-60 win over the Wollongong Hawks.

The Taipans had been replaced at the helm earlier in the week's fixtures by the New Zealand Breakers, who downed the Perth Wildcats 90-79 on Thursday.

But Cairns responded to reclaim the lead after 24 matches, moving level again with the Breakers with an 18-6 record courtesy of their thrilling win over the Hawks in Cairns.

The hosts were battling, though, and were kept to just six third-quarter points, before finishing strongly in North Queensland.

The Taipans outscored the visitors 17-5 in the final stanza, with Scottie Wilbekin producing nine of Cairns' final-quarter points after being reintroduced to the game with his side trailing by nine.

Also on Sunday, the Wildcats bounced back from their loss to the Breakers - inflicting an 80-61 defeat on the Sydney Kings.

On Friday, Wollongong won just their fourth match of the season, seeing off Melbourne United 93-82 in a shocking loss for the top-four hopefuls.

United trailed by 27 points heading into the final quarter in Wollongong, before the visitors restored some respectability to the scoreboard late.

Melbourne have a game in hand on the fourth-placed Adelaide 36ers, who moved two wins clear of the former with an 84-77 victory over the Townsville Crocodiles on Sunday.