Basketball: Tall Blacks shock world's best

9.00pm - By JENNI RUTHERFORD

Revenge was gained in the sweetest form as the New Zealand men's basketball team turned the tables on world champions Serbia and Montenegro with a last-second 90-87 win at the Athens Olympics today.

The Europeans, who, as Yugoslavia, knocked the Kiwis out of the medal hunt in Indianapolis two years ago, were unable to hold off another trademark gutsy performance that put one of the gold medal favourites in danger of missing the quarter-finals.

The New Zealanders stunned the Serbian fans that half-filled the Helliniko Indoor Arena for the early morning game in the final 20 seconds. Milos Vujanic was given a controversial foul call, handing New Zealand possession and ultimately the game as the Kiwis once again become the surprise package of an international tournament.

"Our Olympics starts now," said power forward Sean Marks after the game. "It took us a while to get warmed up and a while to click. Hopefully this game is a stepping stone and we can use this to build on."

"The key was our defence at the end, we really stepped it up. At the offence we shared the ball around a lot, everybody really contributed and our offence was really clicking. It was an all-round good team effort."

A change to the starting five, which gave New Zealand more height with Tony Rampton at centre and Kirk Penney on the bench, may have helped the Tall Blacks overcome another bout of the first half jitters.

The Tall Blacks raced to an 11-4 lead in the opening quarter thanks in part to Sean Marks' opening three-pointer followed by his slam dunk.

Serbia and Montenegro came back at them, drawing level twice. Dillon Boucher's lay-up basket in the last second of the shot-clock that dropped as the first quarter buzzer sounded gave the Tall Blacks a 22-20 advantage at the end of the period.

It was a good showing from both players, who sat out part of yesterday's intense training session with slight injuries. Marks was still nursing a sore elbow after his tumble in the China game and Boucher straining the wrist on his shooting hand again.

American-born Ed Book, who has had a stand-out tournament , ensured the Tall Blacks stayed on course, scoring the first eight points of the second spell including two three-point baskets . The world champions wrestled the lead off New Zealand late in the quarter to finish 44-39 ahead at halftime.

Marks was in serious foul trouble early in the third period, and with mistakes and decreasing shooting percentages creeping into New Zealand's game, Serbia and Montenegro began to pull away.

Taking a 66-55 lead into the fourth quarter, and a 13-point late advantage Serbia and Montenegro appeared to have the game in the bag. However the last five minutes belonged to New Zealand.

Huge contributions from Kirk Penney (15 points), Pero Cameron (14) and Marks (10) meant another upset and another kingpin scalp for Tall Blacks.

New Zealand 90 (K Penney 15, P Jones 14, P Cameron 14, E Book)

Serbia and Montenegro 87 (D Bodiroga 25, M Vujanic 21, I Rakocevic 11).

Halftime:39-44.


- NZPA