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TWO-TIME DPOY HAMSTRUNG AGAIN<\/p>\n
Melbourne United secured an important 89-85 win over the Cairns Taipans on Thursday night, with Milton Doyle leading the way.<\/p>\n
Doyle finished with 25 points, three rebounds and one assist off the bench, shooting 45 per cent from the field in just under 29 minutes of action.<\/p>\n
Tyson Walker also impressed, adding 17 points, two assists and three steals, with he and Doyle the only United players to reach double figures.<\/p>\n
However, the victory came at a cost, with fresh injury concerns surrounding Shea Ili and Chris Goulding.<\/p>\n
Ili, who has played just 10 games this season lasted under seven minutes before suffering another hamstring injury, an issue that has plagued his campaign.<\/p>\n
Assistant coach Rhys Carter, filling in for Dean Vickerman, provided an update post-game.<\/p>\n
CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 12: Shea Ili of United drives up court during the round 21 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and Melbourne United at Cairns Convention Centre, on February 12, 2026, in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Emily Barker\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI walked straight past Steve McAdam, the physio, and just said that other hamstring and they\u2019ll assess how bad it is. But it was bad enough to not play,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we haven\u2019t got a full assessment yet. So, you know, as soon as he had some feeling there, we\u2019re not going to risk him staying in the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we just had to keep him out. So we\u2019ll get more information in the next day or two.\u201d<\/p>\n
It marks another frustrating setback in an injury-interrupted season for the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n
United also monitored superstar Chris Goulding, who was still feeling soreness from an issue suffered in last week\u2019s game against the Adelaide 36ers.<\/p>\n
Goulding sat out the final 14 minutes, though Carter suggested the concern may be minor.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, he had a minor issue like behind his knee from the last game and it got much better. And he came into the game feeling really close to 100 percent,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut just as it went, just kind of irritated him a little bit. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to be anything major.<\/p>\n
Goorjian goes off after Davis foul | 00:21<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, he could have gone back in. He was kind of like, yeah, look, I\u2019m not great, but I can play.\u201d<\/p>\n
With finals approaching \u2013 including matchups against the Illawarra Hawks and South East Melbourne Phoenix \u2013 United will anxiously await Ili\u2019s scans while continuing to manage Goulding.<\/p>\n
Head coach Dean Vickerman missed the game due to appendicitis, giving Carter the chance to step in. The result was a crucial win, but the injury concerns could prove significant in the weeks ahead.<\/p>\n
\ufeffWILDCATS WELCOME BACK IMPORT GUARD AS FINALS RACE HEATS UP<\/p>\n
The Perth Wildcats have surged into form, winning eight of their past nine games as they chase a top-two finish on the NBL ladder.<\/p>\n
Ahead of a Round 21 double against the Brisbane Bullets and Sydney Kings, the club has confirmed David Duke Jr will return after an extended stint sidelined with an elbow injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth David Duke Jr. and Sunday Dech are returning to the roster for tomorrow night\u2019s home game at RAC Arena vs the Brisbane Bullets,\u201d the Wildcats announced.<\/p>\n
Duke Jr hasn\u2019t played since Round 14, when he suffered the injury just three minutes into a clash with the Adelaide 36ers. He now returns after missing the past nine games.<\/p>\n
The period without him also coincided with reports the Wildcats were exploring potential import replacements leading into HoopsFest, before ultimately backing in their current roster.<\/p>\n
HOBART, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 21: David Duke Jnr of the Wildcats celebrates during the round 13 NBL match between Tasmania Jackjumpers and Perth Wildcats at MyState Bank Arena, on December 21, 2025, in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Steve Bell\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
With three games remaining \u2013 against the Bullets, Kings and 36ers \u2013 Perth remains a mathematical chance of finishing on top of the ladder and will look to build momentum heading into finals.<\/p>\n
Across 12 games this season, Duke Jr has averaged 12.8 points, 3.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and one steal per game after joining the club following Mason Jones\u2019 departure earlier in the year.<\/p>\n
Sunday Dech also returns, adding further defensive presence as the Wildcats push through the final stretch of the regular season.<\/p>\n
Wildcats coach John Rillie said after Wednesday\u2019s training:<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you saw today, he (Duke Jr) had some great feel in moments. He doesn\u2019t look rusty with the ball in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s been impressive is the way he\u2019s handled and conducted himself through this. That\u2019s what people don\u2019t see \u2013 the work he\u2019s been doing to get to this point.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘Shame on you!’ Coaches react to blow-up | 02:37<\/p>\n
TAIPANS\u2019 MILLION-DOLLAR MAN LOCKS IN FOR NBL27<\/p>\n
Jack McVeigh has committed his future to the Cairns Taipans, giving the club a major building block after a tough season. The marquee forward\u2019s decision comes off a career-best year on the court and provides clarity as Cairns begin reshaping their roster for next season.<\/p>\n
McVeigh, one of the headline signings of the off-season, has locked in his return to Cairns after both parties agreed to the mutual option on his contract.<\/p>\n
Cairns signed McVeigh on a two-year deal during the off-season after a stint in the NBA and G League with the Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers.<\/p>\n
In a statement released by the club, McVeigh spoke about his excitement to continue in Far North Queensland.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t be more excited to be back next season,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day I\u2019m grateful I get to play basketball. I love coming out here and competing against the best and playing the game. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve wanted to do my whole life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful for how welcomed my young family and I have been. Cairns quickly felt like home, and I can\u2019t see myself leaving. The fans, the coaching staff, my teammates, the front office, everyone has made the experience special.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery game is another step forward, whether it\u2019s for me individually as a player or collectively as a club. We\u2019re trying to build for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
McVeigh is producing career-best numbers, averaging 21.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists, all personal highs. He has also posted two 40-point performances this season, underlining his status as one of the league\u2019s premier marquee players.<\/p>\n
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 08: Jack McVeigh of the Taipans shoots during the round 20 NBL match between Brisbane Bullets and Cairns Taipans at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, on February 08, 2026, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
While Cairns sit ninth at 9-22 in a disappointing campaign, securing McVeigh is a major step towards a reset. CEO Mark Beecroft believes the club now has the right foundation piece.<\/p>\n
\u201cJack has been exceptional both on and off the court for us this season. His character is second to none,\u201d Beecroft said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis experience and professionalism sets the standard and on court he lifts everyone around him. He\u2019s the ultimate competitor and we\u2019re excited to build a team around him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The focus now shifts to the rest of the roster. Reyne Smith and Mawot Mag are the only other players contracted for next season, though both deals include options, leaving Cairns with significant decisions ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Melbourne United could see two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Shea Ili out once again as injuries dampen…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":475363,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-475362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475362\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}