Taylor Britt of the Tall Blacks. Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport
A huge fourth quarter effort saw the Tall Blacks beat Iraq 100-78 in their FIBA Asia Cup 2025 opener in Saudi Arabia.
Playing in 39 degree heat in Jeddah, the Tall Blacks guards found their range early, with Mojave King, Taylor Britt and Flynn Cameron combining for the team's first 11 points.
The Tall Blacks managed to keep Iraq scoreless for a four-minute period to open up a 24-16 quarter time buffer.
Britt knocked down a pair of free throws within 10 seconds of the second quarter starting but Iraq clawed themselves back into the game.
Iraqi sharpshooter Ahmed Abdul scored five straight and Iraq nudged into the lead just before half-time.
New Zealand fought hard in the third quarter before seven straight from point guard Britt saw the Tall Blacks take a two-point lead heading into the last period.
Turnovers began to mount for Iraq and the Tall Blacks put the hammer down to outscore Iraq 37-17.
Coach Judd Flavell was pleased with the Tall Blacks much improved second half.
"I first wanted to acknowledge Iraq and the way that they came out and played. We were half a step late, our defence wasn't good enough. That gave them some good looks from the outside," Flavell said.
"For our group in the second half, we were in a grind. We wanted to keep the pace high, so I feel like that sort-out rewarded us down the stretch there in the fourth quarter where we managed to get on top and obviously the scoreboard was in our favour from then on."
Britt said they have to play with that level of intensity from the start.
"I think we responded quite well, especially in that fourth quarter. Just putting out that level of intensity… that needs to be there from the first quarter of the game and going forward. But I guess it's a positive that we can do it for one quarter, but we've got to do it for four," Britt said.
New Zealand meet the Philippines in the early hours of Friday morning.
Tall Blacks 100 (Britt 19p, 7r, 4a, King 18p, Davison 14p, 7r) defeat Iraq 78 (Ahmed Abdul 19p, Hammoodi 15p)
Q1: 24-16
HT: 42-43
Q3: 63-61
FT: 100-78
