A strong second-half performance against Argentina yesterday in Buenos Aires has given Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin confidence the team is making progress ahead of the world basketball championships later this month in Japan.
New Zealand lost the final match of their South American tour 85-72 to the reigning Olympicchampions and 2002 world championship runners-up who fielded a full-strength team.
Argentina contained 10 Athens Olympics gold medallists as well as NBA stars Manu Ginobli and Andres Nocioni.
'It was a tough and seasoned team that we were facing," Baldwin said from Buenos Aires yesterday.
With the Tall Blacks suffering some glitches in defence, the Argentinians took control of the basket close in.
"We trailed 18-27 at the end of the first quarter and our defence wasn't getting the job done in the second quarter," Baldwin said.
"It was 40-54 at halftime - that's a lot of points to give up and something that we have struggled with in South America."
Craig Bradshaw led a scoring spree in the final quarter, sinking three three-pointers, and the Tall Blacks cut Argentina's lead to four points with 2 1/2 minutes to go.
But New Zealand could not reply when Argentinian guns Carlos Delfino and Ginobli each sank three-pointers and the home team pushed the margin out to 13 points by the end of the game.
"I was exceptionally encouraged by the second-half performance," Baldwin said. "We played the best basketball of this campaign."
The Tall Blacks return home this weekend after winning just one of seven matches in South America. They lost five to Brazil and beat Venezuela 100-70 in their previous matches.
The Tall Blacks reassemble on August 9 to prepare for two matches against Qatar on August 11 (Dunedin) and August 13 (Invercargill) before leaving for Tokyo on August 17.
