By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
ATHENS – Trailing the entire second half, New Zealand saved the best for last to get a win, 90-86, against Croatia on Wednesday.
Behind a stunning display late in the fourth quarter, the team coached by Pero Cameron went up to 1-0 in Group A of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, Greece. Wrapping up the round-robin schedule in Gameday 3 of the group, Thursday’s game is versus Slovenia, which is 0-1 after losing to Croatia on Tuesday.
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Down seven points with just over three minutes on the clock, the Tall Blacks drew an 11-0 finishing run. Experienced floor general Shea Ili chipped in six points, including the game-tying layup with 1:22 remaining in the fourth quarter and the go-ahead layup with 37 seconds left.
Among the regulars of New Zealand for nearly a decade, Ili ended up with 18 points behind 6/9 field goals. Corey Webster recorded a team-high 21 points. Finn Delany chipped in seven points, nine rebounds, and two assists before fouling out.
For the team coached by Josip Sesar, Ivica Zubac nearing his career-high with 29 points and grabbing 16 rebounds went to waste. Dario Saric and Mario Hezonja finished with 19 and 16 points, respectively.
With Croatia locked at 1-1 and through to the next stage of the OQT as the first or second seed, Luka Doncic and teammates need to win by a margin of ten points or more against New Zealand to avoid an early exit.
Slovenia needs to beat New Zealand by 10 in order to advance to the semifinals after the Tall Blacks beat Croatia #FIBAOQT https://t.co/WuQgnFoF3S
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) July 3, 2024
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL