Basketball: Dreamers respect Kiwis

By PETER JESSUP

It was the haka and high-fives all round as the Tall Blacks surprised themselves and the basketball world when they footed it with the mighty American Dream Team.

If proof were needed that New Zealand have arrived on the international stage, this was it, a 56-102 loss that had the Americans expressing respect and the Kiwis beaming ear to ear.

At the end, Kiwi NBA player Sean Marks asked his Toronto Raptors team-mate Vince Carter to invite the rest of the Dream Teamers back on court to see what the Americans understood to be the country's cultural dance. At "kamate, kamate," the crowd foot-stomped out their voices at increasing pace until the scaffolded seating shook.

The Yanks had no idea what it was all about, but were happy to take part and enjoyed the spectacle.

"When they turned us around and went into the celebration ritual, or whatever it was, I totally didn't know what it was," said the world's second-most expensive player, Kevin Garnett of Minnesota Timberwolves.

"I gave them respect, they asked that we stay out on the floor and watch. It shows togetherness. I'm a guy that thrives off team work and I enjoyed it and I respect it," he said of the haka.

Kiwi guard Paul Henare, who with his 11 team-mates had a blinder, was rapt. "There were no smart remarks or anything, for them to show that sort of respect to us, that was cool. It's changed my opinion of them."

American coach Rudi Tomjanovich congratulated the Tall Blacks on making the Olympics and on putting up such a good fight in the impossible war.

"We looked at tapes of them, took out-takes of their players who can shoot from the outside. I like a lot of players on the team, but the one that I really like is Cameron," he said of Auckland forward Pero. "He's such a big guy."

Garnett said he knew nothing about New Zealand or its basketball until Saturday night's game at the Dome.

"I didn't know New Zealand was as athletic as that, but again this is the Olympics and everyone here is worth being here."

They had double-ganged Cameron to shut him down and it worked, he said.

Henare said the Tall Blacks were not intimidated by the Americans' size or their ability under the hoop. "We looked at the game as an opportunity to find out where we stand in the world. We were a bit shaky in the first half, it was pretty intense at the start, but we got better.

"We talked about countering them by throwing the ball around, everyone was giving it a go," he said.

Three minutes in and it was 4-4, a dream for the Kiwis, points on the board and they weren't losing. They were playing on adrenaline and matching the slower-starting Americans, going enthusiastically for rebounds, hassling the Americans and not scared to give away fouls in the fight.

New Zealand were obviously enjoying it by the 10-minute mark, the score 24-9, some personal moments to take home. Cameron will remember getting slugged in the chest by Garnett's elbow; Tony Rampton will remember flooring Shareef Abdur-Rahim; Rob Hickey will treasure the two points he scored against the best, since he ran punching his arms in the air as he got back to defend after landing the ball.

The Americans were not executing as well as they should, despite some hoop-hangers and deft touches to go under and around their opponents for lay-ups. The Tall Blacks missed some easy baskets but the force they put into taking the rebounds was brilliant, often getting multiple shots even if they didn't land.

Sean Marks played only six minutes in the first spell and 15 in the second as coach Keith Mair worked the bench to prevent the scoreline running out as they tired.

"At least they didn't run us out of town," Mair said.

By the end, New Zealand had hit 10 of 33 field goal attempts for 30 per cent, the Americans 21 of 31 for 67 per cent.

The Kiwis made half of their 14 three-pointers, the Dream Team 11 of 17 for 65 per cent; the Tall Blacks hit five of eight free-throws, the Yanks 11 of 17, taking advantage of the greater number of fouls awarded them as the opposition went hard. New Zealand had 26 rebounds, the Dreamers 38.

The Tall Blacks face another impossible mission when they play their last pool game against Lithuania on Monday. If they lose, they will play the bottom-placed team in the other group to determine 11th and last. They're confident they can win that one, and should they do so that will be proof they deserve their place in this tournament.