Hawks blow away struggling Taipans in NBL

Illawarra have handed Cairns a 79-54 drubbing at the WIN Entertainment Centre, adding more misery to the struggling north Queensland NBL outfit.

Edging out the Taipans (3-7) one week ago 87-81 in the same arena, Friday's night encounter started fast and competitive before the visitors capitulated in the second half.

Cairns were limited to just 17 points after the main break, as they succumbed to their lowest field goal percentage (30 per cent) of the season, after the Hawks (8-6) handed them their previous low in the last matchup.

The win was Illawarra's 12th from 13 games against Cairns at home and the Taipans' sixth loss from their last seven NBL outings.

It also cements Brian Goorjian's side as certain playoff candidates as they hit the midway mark in the season on games played.

But they were made to work as the Taipans' full court pressure paid dividends in the opening half, the Hawks leading 41-37 at the break.

But shooting 4 from 16 and with seven turnovers in the third term, the night turned ugly for Cairns as they then didn't register a field goal until the clock read 4 minutes 30 remaining in the contest as the deficit ballooned to 25 points.

"Really happy, I knew they would come in with a physicality to them ... but we settled down when we got the two guards on the floor, and I thought the second half was what we needed," Goorjian said.

"Just the defensive side of the ball, you know, I thought they they were as physical and as aggressive as we played against, and we matched them.

"And that's been an area, obviously, it's been a huge concern. So to win in that forum was really big."

Cairns coach Adam Forde said their lack of scoring in the second half was worrying but looked forward to his side bouncing back on