Basketball New Zealand

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Former Tall Black coach Tab Baldwin (Photosport)

Former NZ Tall Black coach Tab Baldwin officially began his career in the Greek A1 league with a loss, his PAOK Thessaloniki club falling 66-76 on the road to Olympiakos.

PAOK lost valuable ground to their Euroleague opponents in the second quarter, which they lost 8-18, and could never quite claw back that deficit. Baldwinís team enjoyed a rebounding edge, but turned the ball over 19 times.

His debut gets no easier next week, when he faces reigning Euroleague champions Panathinaikos Athens at home.

Meanwhile, coaching rival Jeff Green and his Kiwi contingent continued to make their presence felt with Hottur in the Icelandic D1 (second division), defeating Reynir 97-84.

Tall Black candidates Ben Hill and Everard Bartlett both recorded ìdouble doubleî – Hill had 21 points (7/12 FG, 1/4 3pt, 6/7 FT) and 17 rebounds, Bartlett compiled 29 points (10/22 FG, 2/6 3pt, 7/7 FT) and 10 rebounds.

Hottur buried their opponents with a 26-10 second quarter and converted a sizzling 21/23 FT (91.3%). They are now one of four unbeaten teams after two weeks of the competition and next week they face winless Haukar.

Tall Black point guard Mark Dickel is also unbeaten with reigning German champions Brose Baskets Bamberg, who accounted for Deutsche Bank Skyliners (88-51) and Telekom Basket Bonn (70-55) over the weekend.

Dickel is still coming off the bench, but contributed six points (3/3 FG), five assists and two steals in 20 minutes against Skyliners. His performance against Bonn – six points (1/2 FG, 1/1 3pt, 3/4 FT), two steals, one rebound and one assist – was marred by five turnovers.

Bamberg are now the only unbeaten team (5-0), but they face second-placed Walter Tigers Tubingen (4-1) in their next outing.

Meanwhile, NZ Tall Black Craig Bradshaw treated defending champions Brisbane Bullets to 30 points, but could not get them past Sydney Kings in the Hummer Championship NBL.

Bradshaw shot 11/15 FG, 8/8 FT, adding six rebounds, two assists and a steal in 32 minutes off the bench as the 117-127 loss ended Bulletsí year-long home winning streak. Both teams came into the game unbeaten for the season Ö afterwards, only the Kings (5-0) and Melbourne Tigers (7-0) had yet to lose.

Tall Black Dillon Boucher logged 12 minutes for Brisbane, contributing two assists, a rebound and a steal.

Bradshaw returned to earth with two points (1/6 FG) and five rebounds in 17 minutes as a starter as Brisbane edged South Dragons 110-109. Boucher had four points (2/2 FG), three assists and two rebounds in 16 minutes.

Kiwi centre Tony Rampton helped West Sydney Razorbacks end Sydneyís unbeaten run with a 103-96 win. Rampton logged 20 minutes as a starter, contributing six points (2/3 FG, 2/2 FT), four rebounds and three blocks.

A Kiwi connection of Pero Cameron, Casey Frank and American Jason Crowe also guided Gold Coast Blaze to a 106-92 win over Wollongong Hawks.

Cameron retained his starting spot despite the return of centre Ben Melmeth from injury and had 12 points (4/8 FG, 1/4 3pt, 3/5 FT), seven rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes. Frank chipped in 13 points (5/7 FG, 1/3 3pt, 2/2 FT) and one rebound in 16 minutes off the bench, while Waikato import Crowe led the Blaze with 28 points (11/19 FG, 2/7 3pt, 4/5 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and two steals.

Tall Black guard Lindsay Tait had nine points (3/7 FG, 2/3 3pt, 1/2 FT), four rebounds and two assists for the Hawks.