The Tall Blacks live to fight another day at the Basketball World Cup after they were made to work for a 95-87 overtime victory against Jordan in Manila late last night.
New Zealand led for most of the match until Jordan forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s late fourth-quarter three-pointer levelled the score to force overtime.
“We made it very exciting for those who came out. We have a lot to work on, but a win is a win. When you win ugly and by not making shots, those are the good ones,” Tall Blacks forward Finn Delany told 1News.
New Zealand had plenty of possession in the opening quarter – Delany and Shea Ili converting chances early. Jordan’s biggest threat was former Brooklyn Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who showed his ability on both ends of the floor.
It seemed the game plan was to rely on him - and you could see why – a huge dunk in the second quarter put some in the arena in a state of disbelief. His NBA experience shone through - with his Kobe Bryant-esqe fade away going in time and time again.
The Kiwis did not let up, though – their shooting from the perimeter kept them front.
Jordan’s game plan – give it to their big men and score in the paint – worked at times. But New Zealand’s three-point shooting through Izayah Le’afa gave the Kiwis a nine-point lead at halftime.
Both sides missed plenty in the third – Hollis-Jefferson continued to be a problem for the New Zealand defence as the deficit shortened. The third quarter was scrappy, and Jordan was more clinical on the attacking end.
New Zealand had a 1-point lead heading into the last quarter, Jordan leaving it right to the dying seconds, and with time ticking down, Hollis-Jefferson was fouled while succeeding with a three-pointer which levelled the score 89-89.
It was the Tall Blacks who made the most of the extra five minutes - the experience of Isaac Fotu showing through on the defensive end as Jordan ran into foul trouble.
Izayah Le’afa was man of the match, and deservedly so. His shooting from range constantly applied scoreboard pressure. He finished with 23 points.
Other standouts were Finn Delany, Shae Ili and Yanni Wetzell, who all recorded double-digit points and scored in crucial stages of the match.
New Zealand now face Greece, with the winner likely to finish second in the group and advance to the next round.
“We need to believe, we think we can beat that Greece team, and we’ll put an X over that date," Tall Blacks captain Reuben Te Rangi told 1News.
All of the Tall Blacks games as well as a number of big match-ups will be free to watch live on TVNZ+ and Duke.
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