New Zealand garnered global attention through their customary pregame ritual, which seemed to imbue them with the right momentum to kick off the match acceleratedly.
Exploiting vulnerabilities in the USA’s defense, they surged to a 14-4 lead and earned the support of 10,978 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.
However, when the USA altered their defensive strategy by transitioning from drop coverage to switching, positioning Paolo Banchero as a central figure, they managed to stage a comeback. They concluded the first half with a 45-36 advantage.
Despite New Zealand’s efforts to prevent the USA from establishing a substantial 20-point lead until the latter stages of the game, they struggled to reduce the deficit to single digits due to the balanced offensive approach employed by the USA.
“The opening handshake was good, strong and forceful,” said Pero Cameron, New Zealand head coach. “Just being able to maintain that for the full game was always a question. I’m proud of my guys, we move on to the next game.”
Watch the game highlights between the USA and New Zealand in the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023:
