At King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – the Tall Blacks would look to continue their path to the gold medal at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. Their quarter-final match up with Lebanon promised to be nothing short of exciting, and it started that way.
A raucious Lebanese crowd filled the stand, as the loud jeers and boos rang out from the bleachers. The Tall Blacks holding stead-fast, a strong rendition of Tū Kaha heard despite the noise. As many Kiwi’s would colloquially say, “We on!”.
Mojave King’s back-door cut to the basket would lead to an easy reverse lay, and the opening points on the game. Lebanon’s Ali Mansour would answer quickly with a triple. Zeinoun’s second triple would send the Lebanese crowd into a frenzy, as they started the game on a 12-2 run.
Max Darling broke the Tall Blacks drought with a pair of free throws, as they looked to stem the flow of Lebanese points.
Zeinoun would knock a deep 30-foot triple, and the Lebanese crowd erupted once more. Lebanon would continue to ride the wave, racing out to a 32-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, dropping a mammoth six triples in the process.
Darling would take the game to the Lebanese at the start of the second, with four quick points to begin the Tall Black fight back. Carlin Davison also bringing plenty of energy, seemingly everywhere on the floor.
Britt and King knocked down back to back buckets for the Tall Blacks as they began the quarter 9-3, cutting the Lebanese lead to 14, still with more work to do.
Darling would be the first Tall Black in double figures with a tough finish at the bucket, Tall Blacks down 13.
Mo King’s transition dunk wouls bring the Tall Blacks as close to eleven, before Lebanon would push their lead back out to 15 before the close of the quarter for a 45-30 lead. The Tall Blacks left to rue first half struggles from outside the arc, going 0/11 from 3-point land.
But it wouldn’t be long into the second half where Tohi Smith-Milner would hitthe Tall Blacks first triple of the night.
The quarter would be a back-and-forth affair, as the Tall Blacks and Lebanon would trade blows, Lebanon holding a steady 15-point lead through the first 5 minutes of action.
Max Darling’s corner trey would take him up to 18 points on the night, as the Tall Blacks crept closer. Mojave King knocked down a triple and the Tall Blacks were within single digits for the first time since the first quarter.
Smith-Milner’s and one would close the margin even further. As the Lebanese attacker streaked out to the open floor, Flynn Cameron would hustle back for a LeBron-esque chasedown swat, before converting down the other end for two of his own. All of a sudden, momentum swinging strongly towards the Tall Blacks as they closed the gap to four points.
Lebanon holding a six point lead heading into the final quarter, but momentum was strongly in the Tall Blacks favour with ten minutes to play.
It was the Lebanese pulling out at the beginning of the fourth, re-establishing a ten-point lead in the opening minute and a half.
A beautiful Carlin Davison pass found a cutting Mo King, followed by another Smith-Milner triple, and Taylor Britt great finish through traffic combined twine to cut the Lebanese lead to five.
A pair of Flynn Cameron free throws, and a trey ball from Mo King tied the score at 72 with a little under four to play.
It was a King and-one that would give New Zealand their first lead since the opening basket of the game.
Taine Murray opened up a 5 point lead before Carlin Davison’s absolute detonation on the Lebanese defence extended the lead to 6 with just over a minute to play.
A increbily tight final minute of play would see Lebanon knock down tough shots, trying their best to spoil the Tall Blacks comeback party – alas, it was too late and the comeback was complete.
The Tall Blacks advancing through to the semi-final against China on Sunday.
Coach Judd Flavell with his post-game comments about a game of two halves.
“Firstly, I think Lebanon in the first quarter could do no wrong. There’s a lot we could’ve corrected, but we didn’t and they made us pay.”
Lebanon shooting the lights out from deep in the first with six made triples, with Coach Flavell knowing his team had to make adjustments heading into the second.
“I think the mindset was to get to the rim and still back yourself to shoot the ball when it’s there. You’ve got to play on the front foot, and Lebanon taught us that lesson in the first quarter, and we were able to turn things around. I’m very proud of our group.”
One of the many standouts from tonight’s quarter-final was Max Darling, who Flavell praised for his huge effort, calling it his best game in a Tall Blacks jersey.
“Probably his best game in the Tall Blacks singlet. Not just him, but you know the young guys really stepped up tonight when it mattered.”
Darling echoing Coach’s thoughts a contrasting game.
“It was a tale of two halves. As soon as we got some stops and rebounds, got out and ran the scoreboard told the rest of the story.”
Darling who’s big 18 point, 9 rebound and 4 assist night, kept the Tall Blacks in the fight during the first half, but he had no doubts about the potential of a comeback.
“We’re a tight-knit team and we know that being connected is one of our strengths. So as long as we came out in the second and kept our composure, we knew we had the chance to turn the game around.”
A dramatic 20-point turnaround for the Tall Blacks will see the match-up with China, who also won a tight tussle against Korea earlier in the day.
Tall Blacks 90 (King 23p, 3a, Darling 18p, 9r, Smith-Milner 13p, 6r, Cameron 12p, 3a, Davison 9p, 6r, 5a, 4s) defeat Lebanon 86 (Lawson 24p, 13r, Gyokchyan 21p, 5r, 4a).
