Tall Blacks coach slam-dunks ‘crazy’ schedule

Tall Blacks basketball coach Paul Henare has taken a not-so-subtle dig at world governing body Fiba over the scheduling demands that served up a World Cup qualifier brickfest against Lebanon.

Henare’s New Zealand men’s side found a way to win the top-ofthe-table clash in Rotorua on Monday night 63-60, despite shooting a miserable 28 percent from the floor. It took them to 7-1, and No 1 spot in Fiba Asia’s group E, with Lebanon dropping to 6-2.

The Tall Blacks have all but sealed a spot at next year’s World Cup in China, but are now playing for seedings as they round out qualifying play with two home games in November/ December (against Jordan and Syria) and then a road double at Lebanon and Jordan next February.

Henare acknowledged the ‘‘ugly’’ nature of Monday night’s victory but felt the level of the hoops had been an unavoidable pitfall after the travel demands both teams had been put under.

The Tall Blacks played on Thursday night against Syria in Beirut (early Friday NZT) and had to undergo a tortuous return home, via Doha, Singapore, Auckland, and then finally on a bus journey to Rotorua that saw them arrive in the early hours of the morning on the game eve.

The total journey was somewhere in the region of 40 hours and clearly took a toll on the standard of hoops on display at Rotorua’s Events Centre, with shooting the first thing that drops off when a player’s legs are tired.

‘‘Every win is important, but it’s just a bit disappointing with the scheduling from Fiba that it had to be a grindout game,’’ said Henare after his team’s seventh straight victory in qualifying play.

‘‘It was never going to be pretty. Both teams were always going to be ugly. I’m sure that’s not what Fiba are trying to achieve.

‘‘We had to depart Beirut at 1.30am after we played Syria and 43 hours later we arrive in Rotorua at 2.30am the day before we played.

‘‘I couldn’t do it. I take my hat off to these guys. Obviously, Lebanon had to do the same. It’s a little bit crazy and disappointing it had to be that sort of spectacle. But I’m just happy we were able to grind it out.’’

Grind was the operable word. The Tall Blacks, who started two of 20 from the floor for the first quarter, made just 21 of their 76 shots and got home on the back of a mammoth 25 offensive boards (handing them 19 more field goal attempts than their opponents) and some outstanding defence.

The Kiwis got their noses in front only in the final minute after trailing by nine points early in the final quarter.

After a Rob Loe lay up got them to within a point (59-60), they forced a turnover with some excellent pressure defence out top, Shea Ili nailed two freethrows, the Lebanese were then hustled into an airball threepointer and Reuben Te Rangi iced the victory with another pair from the charity stripe.

‘‘It was never going to be pretty. Both teams were always going to be ugly. I’m sure that’s not what Fiba are trying to achieve.’’ Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare, right