Tall Blacks survive scare to beat Lebanon and secure top spot in Fiba World Cup qualifying group

At TSB Arena, Wellington: Tall Blacks 106 (Issac Fotu 23, Reuben Te Rangi 21, Jordan Ngatai 21) Lebanon 91 (Amir Saoud 28, Sergio El Darwich 25, Gerard Hadidian 15) 1Q: 30-20, HT: 58-50, 3Q: 84-80.

The Tall Blacks have wrapped up their Fiba World Cup qualifying campaign in entertaining fashion with a scrappy 106-91 win over Lebanon in Wellington.

Playing in the capital for the first time since 2018, New Zealand (8-2) were out to avenge a surprise 77-65 loss to the Cedars (7-3) in an Asian-Oceania zone qualifier in Beirut last November, as well as claim top spot in Group E ahead of the World Cup seeding draw in April.

A repeat of that upset in the return fixture didn’t look likely when Pero Cameron’s men put on an offensive clinic in the first quarter to finish it 30-20 to the good.

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Captain Reuben Te Rangi had 11 points and an assist in a dominant opening spell as the Kiwis took control having briefly fallen behind from the tipoff to a talented if erratic Lebanon side.

By the midway point of the second quarter, the Tall Blacks’ lead had blown out to 15 points with both Isaac Fotu and Jordan Ngatai coming to the party and lighting up the boards.

Just when it looked like a blowout similar to last week’s 110-63 thrashing of Saudi Arabia in Christchurch might be on the cards, Lebanon’s sharp shooter Amir Saoud – fresh off a game-high 27 points in a 107-96 loss to the Philippines on Friday – kept them in touch with some audacious baskets from three-point range.

Thanks to Sauod’s 19-point salvo, the Cedars went into the break only 58-50 down, and they narrowed the gap on the scoreboard even further during an electric third quarter, capitalising on some slack New Zealand defending to briefly take a shock lead.

A dialled-in Sauod just couldn’t miss, draining two more threes in quick succession to put the visitors 80-78 up with 2 minutes and 11 seconds still to play in the third.

That prompted Cameron to call a timeout in a bid to rally his inexperienced troops – bereft of their New Zealand Breakers contingent – who were wilting in the heat of battle.

Taylor Britt took his coach’s message to heart, sinking a three-pointer from way out on the sideline moments later to almost lift the roof off the arena and turn it into a one-point game.

A layup from Hyrum Harris shortly after gave the Tall Blacks some breathing room, before Te Rangi made one of three free throws to send the Kiwis into the final quarter with a slender 84-80 lead.

It was a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish, restricting their tiring opponents to just 11 points in a frantic fourth period in which they plundered 22 points to close out a hard-earned 15-point victory.

Lebanon lost their discipline in the dying minutes with the game on the line as they fell to 0-2 in this window. But there’s no doubt the final scoreline flattered the Tall Blacks, who shipped 30 points in both the second and third quarters in a defensive horror show.

Ngatai (21 points, six rebounds) and Fotu (23 points, 7 rebounds) were the standout performers in black, yet Sauod stole the show with his astonishing 28-point haul, including 10/18 from the field.

The Tall Blacks simply couldn’t handle the 1.85m shooting guard, conceding fouls as he was sinking three-pointers on no less than three occasions. Cameron will also have been concerned with the amount of turnovers they coughed up in a scratchy display which raised more questions than answers.

Overall though there was plenty to admire about this battling performance from a largely second-string Tall Blacks side, with Harris and Britt in particular impressing alongside experienced duo Tohi Smith-Milner (12 points, 5 rebounds) and Te Rangi (21 points, 5/8 from three-point range).

Much tougher tests lie ahead for the world No 26 Tall Blacks as they step up their preparations for the World Cup, co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia in late August.

But Cameron can be quietly satisfied with a qualifying window that produced two victories and showcased their growing strength in depth.