Basketball New Zealand

Warning: file_exists() [function.file-exists]: open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/var/www/vhosts/basketball.org.nz/httpdocs/resources/uploads/2007/05/oscar-torres-edit.thumbnail.jpg) is not within the allowed path(s): (/home/bbnz/:/tmp:/usr/local/lib/php/) in /home/bbnz/domains/tallblacks.org.nz/public_html/wp-includes/post.php on line 3943

Venezuelan star Oscar Torres

The NZ Tall Blacks will face Venezuela in three home tests as part of their build-up towards the FIBA Oceania Olympic qualifying series against Australia in August.

Basketball New Zealand has confirmed games on July 20 in Napier and July 22 & 24 in Wellington.

ìThey are a strong team,î observes new Tall Black coach Nenad Vucinic. ìTypcially South American Ö athletic and some very good individual players.

ìThey are primarily trying to prepare for the Americas qualifying tournament for Beijing and are certainly a capable team.î

Ranked 21st in the world, nine spots below New Zealand, Venezuela have attended the last two FIBA World Championships. The Tall Blacks defeated them 98-85 in pool play at Indianapolis five years ago and then overran them 100-70 in the build-up to Japan last year.

ìThat was one of those games,î recalls Vucinic of the 2006 encounter. ìIt was close at halftime, then we managed to run away.

ìThey were not at their best then Ö they will be a tougher team this year.î

Venezuelaís star player is guard Oscar Torres, who has played for Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors in the NBA, but is now with reigning Euroleague champions CSKA Moscow.

The staging of the series will also result in the Tall Black selection camp being moved from Auckland to Napier from July 1-19.

Pettigrew Green Arena was the site of the historic 72-53 win over Australia last July, their biggest ever win over the Boomers.

ìThere is a good organisation there and a nice venue,î says Vucinic. ìWeíll definitely be well treated by the local people and weíll get what we need to prepare.î

The Wellington fixtures represent the capitalís first taste of international basketball since Game One of the 2001 Oceania series in which the Tall Blacks beat the Boomers to qualify for Indianapolis.

ìWe have good memories of Wellington,î enthuses Vucinic. ìWe got off to a 21-4 start against Australia and went to win that game Ö it really set us up for the rest of the series.

ìWellington has been a basketball town over the years and the Century City Wellington Saints have been getting some very, very good crowds for their Dominion Finance NBL games this season.
ìIt is a good decision to play there.î

The series will be Vucinicís first in charge of the national team after six years assisting predecessor Tab Baldwin.

ìIt will be the start of our campaign,î he says. ìAll we will have had is three weeks in training and this is a good opportunity for us to get some games.

ìI donít know how we will go. Preparation games are important, but weíre aiming to peak for the series against Australia.î

Straight after Game Three, both teams will leave for the Boris Stankovic Cup in China, where they will face the host country, Slovenia, Angola and the NBA Development League All-Stars.
The Tall Blacks proceed to Europe, then to Australia for the Oceania series on August 20-24.

International Series v Venezuela

Friday, July 20
Pettigrew Green Arena, Napier, 7pm
Tickets through TicketDirect Pettigrew Green Arena

Sunday, July 22
TSB Bank Arena, Wellington, 3pm

Tuesday, July 24
TSB Bank Arena, Wellington, 7pm
Tickets now available through Ticketek