The Tall Blacks have registered a dominant 94-75 victory against Japan overnight, leading the game from start to finish to hand the hosts a 19-point loss – in their second and final game of the Ota-based friendly series.
New Zealand jumped to a 21-17 lead after the first period, then extended their lead to nine at half-time thanks to an impressive 29-point quarter. The Kiwis were at their most dominant in the third as they held the hosts to just 13 points – while scoring 25 of their own – then held on in the final period, claiming a dominant victory in front of a packed Japan crowd.
For New Zealand, Reuben Te Rangi led the way with 20 points and 6 rebounds as one of five Kiwis to hit double figures. Izayah Le’Afa was equally dominant, scoring 15 points – including 4-6 from downtown – along with 6 assists and a pair of steals; Flynn Cameron with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Finn Delany added 13 points, Hyrum Harris 10 & 5, Sam Timmins 7 and Walter Brown with 5 points and 6 rebounds. Isaac Fotu and Shea Ili again sat out this game.
Japan was paced by Makoto Hiejima’s 12 points, while Hirotaka Yoshi tallied 11 and Yuki Kawamura and Yuki Togashi had 10 points apiece.
New Zealand won this game on the strength of their shooting and rebounding. They shot 59.6% from the field (33/57), scored 46 of their points in the paint area and nailed 11 triples at a 42% clip. The Kiwis outrebounded Japan by a whopping 45-21 margin – including 15 offensive boards – and paced Japan with 18 assists to the host’s seven.
The Kiwi’s defence was equally impressive, holding Japan to just 38.7% shooting from the field on 24 made shots, and a dismal 8/35 effort from behind the arc.
The Tall Blacks now depart to Istanbul, Turkey to continue their preparation tour leading up to the FIBA World Cup. Their next friendly games will be at the FIBA SuperCup in Germany, beginning with a game against Canada on 13 August.
Stats:
New Zealand 94 – Te Rangi 20 PTS & 6 REB | Le’Afa 15 PTS & 6 AST | Cameron 15 PTS & 4 REB & 4 AST | Delany 13 PTS | Harris 10 PTS & 5 REB | Timmins 7 PTS | Brown 5 PTS & 6 REB | Wetzell 4 PTS & 4 REB | Smith-Milner 3 PTS | Ngatai 2 PTS
Japan 75 – Hiejima 12 PTS | Yoshi 11 PTS | Kawamura 10 PTS | Togashi 10 PTS
Quarter scores: 21-17, 50-41, 75-54, 94-75.
