Basketball: Heavy schedule saps spring out of Tall Blacks

New Zealand bowed out of the Super Cup tournament with an 85-75 loss to Lithuania in Germany yesterday as injury and a tough itinerary began to take their toll.

A win could have given the Tall Blacks a share of the cup as Yugoslavia had beaten Germany in an earlier match at Braunschweig.

But they were flat almost from the time they took the court, possibly feeling the effects of a demanding travel schedule and their third game against top-class opposition in as many days.

They beat world champions Yugoslavia 81-79 two days ago and lost on Saturday to Germany 83-74. Before that, they lost a two-match series 2-0 to France.

The Lithuanians, bronze medallists at the 2000 Olympics, fully exploited the Tall Blacks' lack of intensity.

The key to New Zealand's historic victory over Yugoslavia had been forward Sean Marks' dominance inside, and coach Tab Baldwin was determined to establish that advantage from the outset yesterday.

Despite a good start, with eight points in the first quarter and 11 by halftime, Marks was hampered by a strained hamstring that eventually forced him to sit out most of the second half.

The Tall Blacks led 17-13 at one stage but Lithuania gained the initiative with a 7-1 run at the end of the first period and then reeled off a 13-3 streak early in the second, which was about the time Marks headed to the bench.

Lithuania then dominated both ends, converting 71 per cent of their attempts around the basket and 60 per cent overall from the floor.

New Zealand simply could not finish, managing only 44 per cent close to the hoop and less than 40 per cent overall.

Leading 43-33 at halftime, Lithuania had a 25-point lead in the fourth quarter and were 20 ahead a couple of minutes before the end.

Phill Jones made the margin respectable with a series of three-pointers in the dying seconds.

The Nelson sharpshooter led all scorers for the match with 17 points.

Kirk Penney, with 15, and Marks were the only other Tall Blacks in double figures.

On a day when Baldwin learned he must continue his world championship campaign without injured centre Tony Rampton, he watched not only Marks, but also point guard Mark Dickel, leave the game prematurely.

Dickel left the court during the third quarter with a breathing problem and did not return.

Despite the final margin, the game was never that close.

Against the Germans, the key match-up always loomed as that between Marks and Germany's NBA all-star Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.

The expected showdown was never a contest.

Marks incurred two fouls less than two minutes into the match, a third in the second quarter and a crippling fourth early in the third. He was limited to just 16 minutes on court and scored only four points.

The Tall Blacks now play Canada on Wednesday and Thursday.

The world championships begin on August 29 in Indianapolis.

- NZPA