By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
ATHENS, Greece – New Zealand delivered a stunner against Croatia on the second day of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of Piraeus to light Group A on fire and add some extra spice to the qualification race.
Against most odds and predictions, the Tall Blacks now have some serious chances of advancing to the semifinal stage and leaving Slovenia’s Luka Doncic out of the picture early.
Few probably imagined such a scenario before the Olympic Qualifiers tipped off and New Zealand veteran guard Corey Webster is well aware of it.
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“We use it as extra motivation for sure,” Webster said after pouring a team-high 21 points on 8 – 14 shots in the win. “But I think we always prove that we can play against the best teams in the world. It’s about staying consistent for 40 minutes for us. We fight all the way to the end. Tonight weight we prove that we can play against great teams with great European and NBA players.”
Not only is Webster perfectly fine with everyone leaving them out of the conversation but he and his teammates use this underdog mentality as fuel on the floor.
“We are always the underdogs man,” Webster added. “We are a country that always fights. We always battle above our size, our height. A great game from the boys, I’m really proud of the way we played.”
New Zealand was merciless from beyond the arc in the first half. A few minutes before the break, they were shooting 10 out of 15 from deep to get a 50 – 42 lead.
“We all have freedom,” Webster said. “We all believe in each other as a team. We have great team chemistry, we have been playing together for a very long time. And everyone believes in each other. Everyone can shoot the ball and everyone can execute.”
As expected, Croatia reacted to claim the advantage but New Zealand didn’t give up. With their team down 86 – 79 and 3:12 to play, Pero Cameron’s players held their opponents scoreless and closed the game with 11 unanswered points to triumph over one of the tournament’s favorites.
This win means a lot for Webster and the rest of the Kiwi guys also since it took place against a team that features some NBA veterans like Dario Saric and Ivica Zubac and a EuroLeague superstar in Mario Hezonja.
“We got guys who can play all around the world,” Webster commented. He initiated that 0-11 run down the stretch with a big triple. “We are not too known. Coming up against NBA players or EuroLeague players is a great challenge for us and we love that and we thrive under this pressure.”
Webster and his teammates can’t rest their oars. In less than 24 hours they will be facing Luka Doncic’s Slovenia which will be well-rested and after falling to Croatia on Tuesday.
Slovenia needs a win of 10 points or more to move to the next stage. In any other scenario, New Zealand books the last available semifinal spot.
“We got to still stay focused,” Webster said. “The job is not done. We got to recover well. come out tomorrow with the same fight.”
Before tipoff, New Zealand did the ceremonial Haka, a tradition they always hold before games. What does performing this dance mean for Webster and his teammates?
“It’s a tradition as a country,” Webster mentioned. “It’s something that we hold in our hearts. It’s where we come from. It’s a part of our culture. shows respect for our culture and other teams. We give it our all and we do that with pride.”