Basketball New Zealand

Tall Blacks forward Craig Bradshaw had a team-high 18 points (Photosport)

The New Zealand Tall Blacks put a three-game losing streak behind them with a 13-point win over Lebanon in their second game of the Jack Donohue International Classic in Canada on Thursday.

Forward Craig Bradshaw top-scored with 18 points, while shooting guard Kirk Penney had 17 points in a balanced offensive display from the Tall Blacks, rolling to an 84-71 victory against the 23rd-ranked Lebanese at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Five of the eight New Zealand scorers reached double figures – guards Paora Winitana and Lindsay Tait with 13 each and centre Nick Horvath with 12 as the new-look New Zealand squad celebrated their first win of 2008.

Three crucial runs proved the difference for the Tall Blacks.

A 12-1 outburst to start the second quarter saw them go from four down to seven up, a 13-5 run to end the third period gave them an eight-point break into the fourth, before a 15-3 run finished off the taller Lebanese.

A Horvath basket gave New Zealand their first double-digit lead with 9:09 remaining in the game, then the team scored 13 of the next 16 points, capped by a Bradshaw triple from the top, to take a 20-point lead at 74-54 with 6:01 to play.

“Nothing beats a win,” Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic said, “after the first three games, when really we didn’t play well.

“The Lebanon team is an experienced team, plenty of international experience. I was worried about the game but after a slow start we really picked it up and played a really solid basketball game.

“It was a crucial game for us in terms of morale and confidence. After another slow start we were in danger of falling away again and I really challenged the guys.”

The Tall Blacks shot their best percentages of the campaign so far, dropping a hot 58 percent from the field and hitting 11-of-21 three-point attempts, while limiting Lebanon to 45 percent from the floor and 31 percent on threes.

Still worrying for Vucinic and assistant coaches Dean Vickerman and Dillon Boucher, New Zealand shot 58 percent from the foul-line, turned the ball over 19 times - Tait with eight - and narrowly lost the rebounding battle 30-23.

“The Lebanese defence is nowhere as good as the Australian defence, but I don’t want to take anything away from our guys, they played well. Last night against Canada, we put up as many shot but they just didn’t fall.

“The coaching looks much better and the players look much better when the shots are dropping.

“The turnovers are still well above the quota for international basketball. You shouldn’t have more than 10 and we had 19, so that’s something we need to bring down.”

Bigs Bradshaw and Horvath had a major impact, Bradshaw shooting 7-of-11, including both his three-point attempts and added five rebounds before fouling out late, while Horvath played his most minutes, made all four field goal attempts, adding three rebounds and two assists.

The defensive influence of Winitana on Lebanon danger man Fadi El Khatib was also crucial. Winitana stepped into the small forward role after Mika Vukona got in early foul trouble, and held El Khatib to four points in the first half.

Guard Rony Fahed scored a game-high 20 points for Lebanon, adding seven rebounds and seven assists, while shooting guard El Khatib played every minute to finish with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

The Tall Blacks took their first lead at the eight-minute mark on a three-pointer from Horvath, and never trailed again in the second period. They led by as many as seven points before Lebanon pulled level late in the half, with Bradshaw sinking a basket as time expired to give the Tall Blacks a four-point lead.

Lebanon jumped on the Tall Blacks early, scoring the game’s first six points and stunned by taking an 11-point lead at 15-4 inside the first five minutes.

The Kiwis immediately answered with an 11-0 run, including two threes from Penney and another from Bradshaw, to pull level, eventually down four at quarter time.

The Tall Blacks rest tomorrow before facing the host Canadians on Saturday morning at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, tip-off 11am (NZ time), looking to avenge their disappointing 90-63 defeat yesterday.

Jack Donohue International Classic

At McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
New Zealand Tall Blacks 84 (Craig Bradshaw 18, Kirk Penney 17, Paora Winitana 13, Lindsay Tait 13, Nick Horvath 12) Lebanon 71 (Rony Fahed 20, Fadi El Khatib 16, Roy Samaha 11, Omar El Turk 10)
1Q: 17-21
HT: 35-31 (18-10)
3Q: 59-51 (24-20)
FT: 84-71 (25-20)

Tall Blacks vs Lebanon Live Stats