Australia’s basketball males have sealed their place at subsequent yr’s Olympics after New Zealand let a 15-point lead slip throughout their tournament-ending defeat to Greece within the World Cup.
Brian Goorjian’s Boomers, who had already made the second group stage on the world event, knew additionally they would additionally financial institution qualification for subsequent yr’s Paris showpiece as the highest Oceanian workforce ought to their trans-Tasman rivals succumb of their closing Group C match in Manila on Wednesday.
But for lengthy spells of their eventual 83-74 defeat, it regarded as if the Paris qualification battle would proceed as New Zealand appeared on target to earn their very own place within the second group stage.
They surprisingly dominated the primary half of the competition towards a Greek facet that includes Thanasis Antetokounmpo, brother of NBA celebrity Giannis.
New Zealand, with no NBA gamers of their line-up within the absence of Steven Adams, started in impressed vogue, racing right into a 43-28 lead which was solely pegged again to 43-32 by halftime.
The Greeks, impressed by Ioannis Papapetrou and Giannoulis Larentzakis, pressured their manner again into the competition however a late flurry within the third quarter nonetheless enabled the Kiwis to enter the ultimate quarter 4 factors forward at 54-50.
The New Zealanders’ destiny, although, was successfully sealed at the beginning of the ultimate stretch because the Greeks reeled off the primary 9 factors, leaving them to need to play catch-up for the remainder of the competition, with the favourites ultimately forging away to a comparatively simple nine-point victory.
The victory, which featured 27 factors from Papapetrou, ensured Greece made it into the following stage alongside the US, who loved one other easy triumph in Manila, hammering Jordan 110-62 to ease to 3-0 and end atop Group C.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
