Basketball: Argentina KO Tall Blacks out of world champs

New Zealand played their best game in the world basketball championship today but the errors that have dogged their campaign continued today.

As expected, they bowed out in the first knockout match of the last 16 after losing 62-79 to Olympic champions Argentina, who showed they were a cut above the Tall Blacks all over the court.

With a number of NBA (National Basketball Association) league players and a few from the top European competition in the side, Argentina never looked in danger of losing and led throughout.

They were ahead 21-16 in the first quarter, 37-29 at halftime and 59-44 at the end of the third quarter.

The 16th ranked New Zealanders however stuck with their third ranked opponents until late in the third quarter, behind by just five or six points, but the South Americans started to take more advantage of the Tall Blacks' mistakes and pulled away.

Twenty-eight points from San Antonio shooting guard Manu Ginobili drove Argentina into the quarterfinals.

A strong favourite to win the title, Argentina narrowly lost to Serbia and Montenegro in an overtime final four years ago, and will now face the winners of the Turkey-Slovenia match.

The Tall Blacks put up a brave fight in the first half but Argentina moved up a gear in the second, with NBA star Ginobili and his San Antonio Spurs teammate Fabrice Oberto doing the damage.

Oberto ended with 23 points and 10 boards while Tall Black Mark Dickel top-scored for his side at 15.

Argentina used a combination of raw power and aggressiveness to put the game beyond New Zealand's reach but they will be concerned by only converting 1-of-18 from the three-point line.

It took them until 3min 50sec left in the game to convert one after 17 misses.

Oberto helped himself to 11 points and seven rebounds as Argentina ended the first quarter 21-16 ahead.

Ginobili proved a constant danger with darting runs into the danger zone and pinpoint passing, and Argentina should have been further ahead than 37-29 at the break but for a woeful 0-11 from outside the arc.

The Tall Blacks, who finished fourth in 2002, stayed in the match by playing a physical game and making more of their three-point chances, scoring on 4-of-17.

However, they continually missed baskets after getting on the inside and turned over possession as a result.

Scoring has been a major problem for them in the heavy defeats to Spain, Germany, Angola and wins over hosts Japan and Panama.

The third quarter belonged to Argentina, highlighted by a spectacular Ginobili slam dunk on a fast break as the South Americans turned the screw to go into the last stretch with a 59-44 lead.

The statistics told the story of New Zealand's game.

They managed just 58 per cent (18 from 31 and Argentina 27 from 45 for 60 per cent) two-point attempts, converted eight of their 12 free throws (Argentina 22 from 29), got nine offence rebounds compared with Argentina's 17, and 22 rebounds on defence (Argentina 29).

New Zealand committed 23 fouls and Argentina 15.

Argentina 79 (Emanuel Ginobili 28, Fabrice Oberto 23, Luis Scola 10)
New Zealand 62 (Mark Dickel 15, Kirk Penney 11, Phil Jones 9, Craig Bradshaw 9).
Quartertime: 21-16, halftime 37-29 (16-13), threequarter time 59-44 (22-15), fulltime 79-62 (20-18).

- NZPA