Basketball: Tall Blacks beaten but unbowed

INDIANAPOLIS - Reality kicked in for New Zealand after their 112-85 loss to Argentina at the world championships in Indianapolis yesterday.

But New Zealand could afford to lose. They had already secured a place in the second round for the top 12 after wins against Russia and Venezuela, and will play Germany tomorrow.

They take five valuable points into the round, where they will also meet the NBA-studded United States on Wednesday and China a day later.

The Tall Blacks, eyeing a spot in the quarter-finals, are refusing to look beyond Germany, a team they lost to by nine points at the Super Cup less than three weeks ago.

"We can't get ahead of ourselves, we have to focus on what we have to do next," power forward Sean Marks said. "We did not come here to get two wins and a loss.

"We have to play the Kiwi brand of basketball, which is team ball, hustle ball. We are not a one-man team.

"Our coaching staff and video people have two days to prepare, they will work their wonders and weave their magic."

Pride and competitive juices will propel the team in every game, but the side also have the carrot of an automatic 2004 Olympic spot if they finish sixth or better.

Unlike their previous matches, the Tall Blacks started strongly yesterday, pushing Argentina for three-quarters of the match.

Captain Pero Cameron top-scored with 21 points, despite leaving the game in the fourth quarter with five fouls.

Sean Marks was shut down by Argentina's Ruben Wolkowysky. He managed just six field goals and a total of 10 points.

But Marks was a typical workhorse on the boards, snatching eight rebounds.

The Miami Heat giant copped a scratch in the eye in a scrappy third quarter and had it patched after the match.

The injury is not expected to keep him out of the clash with Germany. Ed Book also took a battering and retired to the bench for treatment to a cut on the forehead. The New York-born centre scored 11 points and took four rebounds.

Argentina were always expected to be the toughest pool opponents for the Tall Blacks after their surprise victories over Russia and Venezuela,

"This was definitely the toughest game of the three," forward Phill Jones said.

"In the fourth quarter we struggled to get into offence ... we struggled pretty badly.

"They got ahead and we started to panic a little bit. We tried to get back into the game too quickly and they got away on us.

"It was pretty ugly in the end."

Coach Tab Baldwin added: "We got a taste of something [defeat] today that doesn't taste very good.

"But we came to this tournament expecting we would get a lot more of this.

"Today was a tough game. For three quarters we played pretty well. But we didn't get the job done offensively, we couldn't get into an offensive flow and you have to credit Argentina for that."

The match at the RCA Dome in downtown Indianapolis had all the makings of yet another Tall Black boilover. They led 31-26 in the first quarter and trailed by only eight points, 52-44, at halftime.

But the match turned ugly in the third quarter. Dillon Boucher took exception to Book's treatment by Argentina and his retaliation earned him a foul.

Book's two shots at the free-throw line tied the match at 63-63.

But the Tall Blacks could not overhaul Argentina again and slipped behind from there.

As the tussles continued in the shooting area at both ends, the fouls mounted for both teams.

But Argentina kept their noses in front, going to the third-quarter break 74-72.

Despite losing San Antonio Spurs' guard Emanuel Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto and Gabriel Fernandez in the fourth quarter for exceeding the personal foul limit, Argentina made good with their reserves to outpoint New Zealand 38-13 in the final spell.

Ginobili top-scored with 24 points and five assists.

"It was a very hard game, very tough until the last few minutes," Argentina forward Leandro Pelladino said.

Elsewhere, the United States came back from an early 12-point deficit to defeat China 84-65 and complete the first round with an unbeaten record.

China controlled the game for most of the first half, but the home team were finally able to pull away in the second half when centre Yao Ming landed in foul trouble.

The US now meet Russia in the second round on Wednesday. China will play Argentina the same day.

In other games on the final day of preliminary round action, Germany easily dispatched Algeria 102-71.

The win improved Germany to 2-1 in group C play, allowing them to progress to the second round. Algeria are winless and go through to the consolation round.

German forward Dirk Nowitzki, of the Dallas Mavericks, scored 11 points in the first quarter and finished with 24 points in the game.

Andrei Kirilenko had 24 points to lead Russia to an 86-69 win over Venezuela.

Led by a vocal crowd of supporters, Turkey advanced with a 107-80 victory over Lebanon, their first of the tournament.

Yugoslavia, considered by many to be the second-best team in the event behind the US, eased past Canada 87-71.

Brazil completed a perfect opening round by downing Puerto Rico 90-86.

Marcelo Machado led Brazil with 26 points, Anderson Varejao added 18 points and Vanderlei Mazzuchini scored 12. Elias Ayuso scored a game-high 31 points for Puerto Rico.

Brazil will now meet Angola in the second round, while Puerto Rico take on Yugoslavia.

- NZPA

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