The Tall Blacks have quickly discovered that dishing out a basketball hiding to Australia's Boomers ensures a frosty reception when they cross the Tasman.
The sleepy New Zealand players were still shaking off a 17-hour journey from Napier to Hobart which dealt them a setback in their bid for back-to-back
victories tonight, as well as a first win on Australian soil.
Most galling for the team was the absence of any local officials or team bus when they finally touched down in Hobart around 2am yesterday, having already endured a delayed five-hour wait at Melbourne airport.
"I wouldn't call it ideal - the boys were pretty tired today and there was a lot of yawning at our lunchtime meeting," coach Tab Baldwin said.
"We smelled a bit of a rat and had a joke about it ... But I'm sure it wasn't intentional."
The long journey has also dealt a blow to key guard Kirk Penney's chances of recovering in time for tonight's third match, after he missed Friday's epic 72-53 win with a groin injury.
Baldwin said Penney's injury would be reassessed today but he wouldn't be risked in Hobart if he were anything less than 100 per cent fit.
Baldwin, his mind solely focused on the world championships starting in Japan on August 19, admitted results hadn't been the focus of this four-match warmup series, with the last game to be played in Melbourne.
But on the back of a comprehensive win against the world's ninth-ranked team that included giant NBA star Andrew Bogut, the players were eagerly eyeing another crack.
"The guys are starting to talk about breaking their duck in Australia now," Baldwin said.
But the Australians wouldn't "be pushing any panic buttons yet". Baldwin has also delayed his decision to trim two players from the 14-strong squad for the world championships.
Teenager Jeremiah Trueman and forward Mika Vukona were left behind for the two-match Australian tour but Baldwin insisted they were still in contention as he mulled over combinations.
- NZPA
