Basketball: Defence key to 'gutsy' NZ win

South Korean sharpshooter Kim Byong summed up the Tall Blacks' win with a single word - "defence" - after the William Jones Cup basketball final in Taipei yesterday.

The 78-67 win over the defending champions was a ground-breaker for the Tall Blacks - their first title at the tournament they have been playing at since 1980.

Byong, the tournament's top scorer, was subdued by some typically aggressive Tall Blacks defence in the final, although the New Zealanders still gave their coach Keith Mair some anxious moments.

"It was very hard surviving that second half," said Mair. "[The Koreans] gave it everything and started hitting their three-point shots.

"We lost our poise a little bit and struggled to make baskets. It was a gutsy effort - not a polished one - but we got through."

New Zealand led 45-34 at halftime and forged a seemingly unassailable 16-point lead on the run home before the gameplan unravelled.

"We had a nice lead with eight minutes to go but they cut it back to nine, then seven ... we were just struggling to score when we were in a position to finish them off."

Mair said the team had to contend with some dubious refereeing, but admitted "we were our own worst enemy at times in the last 10 minutes."

Unlike earlier matches, where a collective team effort secured victory, Mair said the final was marked by impressive individual performances from Phill Jones and Tony Rampton, the tournament's most valuable player.

"Phill relieved the pressure by hitting some crucial shots.

"Tony picked up some big rebounds. His workrate was outstanding - he probably blocked more shots than anyone else at the tournament."

Rampton also weighed in with 21 points, one less than top-scorer Jones.

- NZPA