The Tall Blacks were eliminated from the Paris Olympics contention after facing exhaustion and Luka Dončić’s exceptional performance, which sent them home early from the crucial qualifying tournament in Greece. Pero Cameron’s New Zealand men’s basketball team couldn’t replicate their previous night’s success in Piraeus and suffered a heavy 104-78 defeat against Slovenia on early Friday (NZT), leading to their exit from the tournament’s group stage.
The outcome resulted in all three teams in Group A finishing with 1-1 records. Croatia (+12), whom the Tall Blacks upset the previous night, topped the group based on points difference. Slovenia finished second with a +10 margin, while New Zealand ended last with a -22 differential.
The Kiwi basketballers struggled to contain the fast-starting Slovenians, especially NBA star Luka Doncic, who recorded a spectacular triple-double of 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Despite Doncic’s 9-of-25 shooting from the field and 3-of-12 from three-point range, he capitalized on 18 free-throw attempts, converting 15. Josh Nesbo, Slovenia’s naturalized center, also exploited New Zealand’s interior defense, scoring 20 points on 10-of-15 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds.
New Zealand’s Shea Ili put in another standout performance with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, but it wasn’t sufficient as Slovenia dominated the first and third quarters. Ili shot 7-of-12 overall, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and made 11 of 15 free throws.
Slovenia took control early with a 27-9 lead after the first quarter, allowed the Tall Blacks to narrow the gap to seven points (46-39) by halftime with a strong second quarter (30-19, including four three-pointers), and sealed the game with a decisive 31-18 performance in the third quarter.
The Tall Blacks clearly showed the effects of playing consecutive games, while the Slovenians benefited from a day of rest after their initial loss to Croatia. New Zealand struggled with 15 turnovers and a dismal 35% shooting accuracy from the field.
Slovenia dominated inside with a 56-24 advantage in points in the paint, outpaced New Zealand 26-3 in fast-break points, and also outscored them 23-9 in points off turnovers.
Following his standout performance the previous night, Corey Webster struggled, managing only 6 points on 2-of-15 shooting. Other usually reliable players like Finn Delaney scored 4 points on 2-of-9 shooting, Yanni Wetzell fouled out with 2 points and 6 rebounds in 16 minutes, and Reuben Te Rangi contributed 7 points on 2-of-9 shooting.
Izayah Le’afa provided a bright spot with 12 points, including four three-pointers, for New Zealand, while backup center Tyrell Harrison added 8 points on efficient 4-of-5 shooting and grabbed 7 rebounds in just 12 minutes.
Coach Cameron expressed disappointment with the outcome, acknowledging their efforts to fight back in the second quarter but lamenting their inability to get defensive stops in the third and fourth quarters. He described it as a tough result to accept and witness
“We had strategies in place for defending Luka, but their effectiveness varied. He’s a formidable player whom we respect, but early fouls put us in a difficult position. Once we entered bonus situations early, it became challenging to maintain our defensive stance.
“We managed to close the gap by the end of the second quarter, and we experimented with a few tactics thereafter, though they didn’t yield the desired results. Tyrell Harrison, who hasn’t had many opportunities during this tour, performed admirably, and he deserves credit for that.
“Harrison expressed his appreciation for the chance to contribute meaningfully, despite the disappointing outcome. ‘We tried to increase the tempo and play our style of basketball, but it wasn’t sufficient,’ he noted. ‘It’s surreal to compete against players of such caliber, but it fuels my determination to reach these significant stages, for both my team and my country.’
“Slovenia will now face Greece, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, in the semifinals, while Croatia, having topped their group, will meet the Dominican Republic in the other semifinal. Only the winner of this six-team event will secure a spot in the Paris Olympics.”
