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Cairns Taipans vs Illawarra Hawks Prediction
Friday night hoops returns with the Cairns Taipans hosting the Illawarra Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre.
The Taipans are coming off a gritty and much-needed 75–69 road win over the Tasmania JackJumpers, a result that could help spark their push to get the season back on track.
Meanwhile, the Illawarra Hawks are flying high after a statement 107–93 home victory over Melbourne United. Veteran import JaVale McGee was unstoppable, delivering a monster performance with 37 points and 14 rebounds to lead the way. The Hawks will be looking to carry that momentum north as they chase back-to-back wins and continue their resurgence.
Here is a Cairns Taipans vs Illawarra Hawks Prediction for Friday, November 7th 2025.
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Cairns Taipans vs Illawarra Hawks
Venue – Cairns Convention Centre
Tip Off – 7.30pm EST
Season Record
| Team | W-L | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | 3-8 | 1-5 | 2-3 |
| Illawarra | 3-6 | 2-2 | 1-4 |
Season Scoring
| Team | PPG | Opp PPG | Game Total Ave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns | 76.7 | 93.8 | 170.5 |
| Illawarra | 87.8 | 97.1 | 184.9 |
Quick Game Facts
- Cairns has dropped its last five home games and will be desperate to turn things around in front of their fans.
- Illawarra ranks 10th in the league for opponent three-point field goals made per game this season (11.0).
- Illawarra hasn’t had much luck in Cairns either, losing four of its last five visits to the Convention Centre.
Quick Player Facts – Cairns Taipans
- Andrew Andrews was on fire in the win over Tasmania, pouring in 27 points and going a perfect 4/4 from deep.
- Admiral Schofield isn’t shy from long range — he’s let it fly 5+ times from three in every game this season, though he’s hitting just 30.5%.
- Jack McVeigh is back in form, averaging 23 points over his last two outings, giving Cairns another much-needed scoring punch
Quick Player Facts – Illawarra Hawks
- JaVale McGee had 37 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Melbourne, going 10/11 from the foul line.
- Tyler Harvey averages 20 points across his last three games against Cairns.
- Q.J. Peterson is coming off an impressive debut with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in just 23 minutes.
Prediction
The Taipans have won their last two against the Hawks, but Illawarra is starting to find form and get back to their fast-paced brand of basketball. Cairns picked up a much-needed win over the JackJumpers last game, but they lost the rebounding battle and now face a glass-cleaning machine in JaVale McGee. These two sides have produced some high-scoring contests in recent meetings, so expect the Hawks to be tough to beat in another potential shootout.