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South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans NBL26 Round 1 Tips - Young talent lead Phoenix to victory

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: Thu 18 Sep 2025 11:13

Jeremy Darke 18 Sep 2025

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South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans expert predictions for Saturday’s Round 1 NBL matchup
Tip-off is at 17:30 PM AEST at John Cain Arena
Phoenix favored to defeat Taipans for 4th time in a row.
Owen Foxwell expected to record 16.5+ points & assists.

South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans NBL26 Round 1 Tips

South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans NBL25 Round 1 Expert Tips

South East Melbourne will start off their NBL26 campaign with their fourth straight win over the Cairns Taipans with their young up and coming talent leading the way.

South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans NBL25 Round 1 Expert Tips
Head to Head
South East Melbourne Phoenix Form & Team News
Cairns Taipans Form & Team News
South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans Frequently Asked Questions

Both of these teams have had active offseasons and also disruptive ones in the final week of their preparation. The Phoenix parted ways with import Vrenz Bleijenbergh while the Taipans lost a huge piece of their puzzle in Sam Waardenberg.

In NBL25 Josh King impressed me, transforming the Phoenix into an outside late contender and although they fell short last season they have kept their building blocks together, holding onto their young talent.

This is where I see this game won for the S.E.M. An increased role for Owen Foxwell as the starting point guard will see his production rise dramatically and based on his performance in the NBL1, the 22-year old is ready for it. Next Star Malique Lewis will see plenty of court time with Bleijenbergh departing and is ready to take the big leap in his draft year.

So, I’m taking the Phoenix to cover with Foxwell to score over 16.5 points & assists and Lewis to pin himself under the rim at both ends and collect 5+ boards, likely even paying ladders on the rebounds.

South East Melbourne swept the series 3-0 in NBL25 against Cairns
S.E.M covered the 3.5 point line in all 3 victories last season.
Owen Foxwell averaged 17.6 points, 14.5 Reb & 8 Ass in the NBL1 this season
Malique Lewis averaged 4.1 rebounds per game in NBL25

Head to Head

NBL25 Match Results

Date	Home Team	Score	Line	Total Points
14/01/2025	CAI	SEM 113-102	SEM -7.0	O 192.5
07/12/2024	SEM	SEM 99-94	CAI +5.5	O 174.5
10/11/2024	SEM	SEM 97-74	SEM -7.5	U 173.5

Offensive & Defensive Rankings

SEM Off	Rank	Stat	Rank	CNS Def
96.1	3	PPG	7	95.5
41.6	5	RPG	10	45.1
46.6%	4	FG%	4	45.7%
33.9%	9	3P%	6	35.5%
10.6	3	TOV	9	10.3

SEM Def	Rank	Stat	Rank	CNS Off
91.6	6	PPG	8	88.3
41.2	6	RPG	6	40.5
45.9%	5	FG%	9	43.6%
35.5%	5	3P%	6	34.2%
12.3	3	TOV	8	12.4

South East Melbourne Phoenix Form & Team News

Under new head coach Josh King, the Phoenix have begun to find their own identity built on strong defensive systems which then allow their offence to flow. King was able to turn a 2-7 team into a Championship contender last season and will look to build on bricks that he laid in South East Melbourne in NBL25.

S.E.M are not without their dramas though with the mutual departure of Vrenz Bleijenbergh just a week out from opening night. King will now lean on imports Hunter Maldonado and John Brown lll along with a stable starting 5 that are very familiar with each other.

The Phoenix will have likely the most routine starting 5 of the NBL with 4 of their 5 starters all playing for the Phoenix in NBL25. We can expect an increased roll from little whippet Owen Foxwell as he looks to take the next step in his developing career, while Next Star Malique Lewis will also likely see more time on the court, especially after the departure of Bleijenbergh

Cairns Taipans Form & Team News

The Taipans did more than struggle in NBL25 finishing the year with just 8 wins and the wooden spoon, but a splash in the offseason has given them hope, all before it came crashing down just a week out from the first tip off.

We start with the bad news with arguably one of the NBL’s brightest talent’s Sam Waardenburg going down with an ankle injury that has him sidelined for the unforeseen future. The news put a damper on what was set to be a tide-turning season for the Taipans who picked up the biggest signing of the offseason by bringing former Tasmanian JackJumper Jack McVeigh to the club after a stint in the G-League.

The Taipans have also signed point guard Andrew Andrews and shooting Forward Admiral Schofield while developing a deep roster with local talent in Kyrin Galloway and Alex Higgins-Titsha.

South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans Frequently Asked Questions

What time does South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans start?

Tip-off between South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans is at 5:30 PM AEST, Saturday, September 20th

What channel is South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans on?

You can watch South East Melbourne Phoenix vs Cairns Taipans on ESPN via Kayo and Foxtel.

Verdict

South East Melbourne Phoenix v Cairns Taipans

South East Melbourne will cover as 3.5-point favourites at home with Owen Foxwell registering over 16.5 Points + Assists while Malique Lewis will take 5+ rebounds.

S.E Melbourne -3.5

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