A five-minute drought through the third period cost New Zealand dearly at the Boris Stankovic Continental Cup basketball tournament in China on Monday (NZ time).
They lost 84-87 to the National Basketball Association Development League Ambassadors in Guangzhou, 24 hours after blowing a 16-point lead in anopening loss to Angola.
The Tall Blacks blew their second successive match after pulling 15 points clear just before halftime against the Americans.
The Ambassadors produced 14 unanswered points as New Zealand hit the wall and finally pulled ahead 58-55 off a trey from guard Clay Tucker late in the period.
In the game's dying moments, New Zealand twice drew even off long-distance baskets from Phill Jones and Kirk Penney, but they ran out of time to edge ahead again after American Kevin Lyde tipped in an offensive rebound with 42 seconds remaining.
Penney had five three-pointers in his game-high 22 points, but came up short with a crucial layup in the final minute that may have changed momentum over the final seconds.
Jones also showed nice touch from the arc for his 21 points.
Still grappling with coach Nenad Vucinic's new playing scheme, centre Craig Bradshaw found room to roam around the basket for 10 points in the first half, but added just one more basket thereafter.
The Tall Blacks now travel to Macau to face unbeaten Slovenia on Tuesday night.
NBA Development League Ambassadors 87 (Clay Tucker 17, Pooh Jeter 15, Terrence Thomas 15, Kevin Lyde 11) New Zealand 84 (Kirk Penney 22, Phill Jones 21, Craig Bradshaw 12). Halftime: 38-51.
