T-Blacks Fall To Puerto Rico
Tagged in: National Teams, Tall Blacks
A fourth quarter fade cost the New Zealand Tall Blacks a chance at victory in their first game at the Alpos Cup in Slovenia this morning.
Puerto Rico, ranked 12th in the world, took control of a tie game early in the fourth quarter, bolting on a 21-6 run to finish off the Tall Blacks and winning 82-74 behind 13 points from Dallas Maverick Jose Juan Barea in Moribar, Slovenia.
The Tall Blacks led from early in the first quarter until early in the fourth, giving up their first lead since the opening minutes with 9:03 remaining as the Puerto Ricans scored eight straight points to bust open a 59-59 game.
New Zealand replied with back-to-back threes from Paora Winitana and Michael Fitchett to get within two points but Puerto Rico unleashed a 13-0 run over the next 3:26 to put the game away at 80-65 with under three minutes to play.
The Kiwis, playing with heavy hearts following the passing of former Tall Blacks video analyst Murray McMahon on Tuesday, did reduce the margin from 15 to eight points in the closing minutes but were never close enough to threaten.
“We played a good game of basketball but we didn’t shoot well,” Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic said.
“We probably didn’t captialise in the first half. We should’ve been up by more than seven points at halftime. We just didn’t shoot well.
“And in that fourth quarter we probably showed the inexperience this side has. We lost the lead and then the game. We were pleased with the way played though.”
Tall Blacks shooting guard Kirk Penney shot 8-of-18 from the field to finish with a game-high 24 points, adding five rebounds and two steals, while centre Craig Bradshaw compiled a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while point guard Lindsay Tait had 12 points and forward Mika Vukona nine points and 12 boards.
Puerto Rico featured balanced scoring, Barea’s 13 points leading four players in double-figures, including Joel Jones, who had eight points in the dagger fourth period run, and Larry Ayuso with 12 points and Daniel Santiago, one of four players with time in the NBA on the Puerto Ricans roster, with 11 points.
New Zealand shot 38 percent from the floor and 35 percent on three-point attempts, while the Puerto Ricans converted 49 percent on field goal attempts and 43 percent from distance. NZ also lost out in the turnovers column, 17-11.
“We didn’t execute against the pressure again and again that’s just inexperience. Puerto Rico have experience and they’ve got shooters, and when our execution failed, they got some quick points in transition.
“That is something we’ve got to cut down. We’re dealing with it and not quite enough yet to deal with the pressure and experience from the teams we’re facing.”
New Zealand controlled the game for most of the first three periods, leading by as many as 14 points in the second period and 12 in the third.
A Bradshaw three gave the Tall Blacks a 49-37 lead at the 6:15 mark of the third before Puerto Rican outscored them 18-7 to close out the quarter and pulling within a point. It was a recurring theme, after a Vukona triple put the Tall Blacks up 30-16 with 5:28 to go in the first half before the Carribean Country scored 13 of the next 19 points to close in.
Puerto Rico scored the game’s first five points before the Kiwis answered with 12 straight, all five starters – Tait, Penney, Vukona, captain Pero Cameron and Bradshaw – getting in on the scoring action.
New Zealand next face hosts Slovenia tomorrow morning (6am NZ time), before playing Beijing-bound Iran on Friday morning (3.30am NZ time).
The Slovenians, 96-71 winners over Iran this morning, feature former NBA Champion with the San Antonio Spurs Rasho Nesterovic and Denver Nuggets draftee San Becirovic, while the country’s other NBA players – Primoz Brezec, Bostjan Nachbar, Beno Udrih and Sasha Vujacic – will not feature this summer.
Alpos Cup
Tabor Hall, Moribar, Slovenia
New Zealand Tall Blacks 74 (Kirk Penney 24, Craig Bradshaw 13, Lindsay Tait 12)
Puerto Rico 82 (Jose Juan Barea 13, Joel Jones 12, Larry Ayuso 12, Daniel Santiago 11)
1Q: 18-10
HT: 36-29 (18-19)
3Q: 56-55 (20-26)
FT: 74-82 (18-27)
