1
00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:10,387
Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine

2
00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:11,507
Speaker 1: from News Talks.

3
00:00:11,587 --> 00:00:16,347
Speaker 2: Edb Tall Blacks are into the semifinals at Basketball's Asia

4
00:00:16,427 --> 00:00:19,947
Speaker 2: Cup in Jedda, Saudi Arabia. To get there, they came

5
00:00:19,987 --> 00:00:24,627
Speaker 2: back from a thirty to twelve quarter time deficit to

6
00:00:24,627 --> 00:00:28,507
Speaker 2: beat Lebanon ninety eighty six in their quarterfinal.

7
00:00:29,827 --> 00:00:33,667
Speaker 3: There is and missus.

8
00:00:33,827 --> 00:00:35,827
Speaker 2: They go Ford, New Zealand to get a hold on

9
00:00:36,827 --> 00:00:37,987
Speaker 2: an incredible win.

10
00:00:37,947 --> 00:00:40,827
Speaker 4: For the Tall Blacks.

11
00:00:41,787 --> 00:00:46,187
Speaker 3: Put it into context, they are marching on to the

12
00:00:46,227 --> 00:00:50,747
Speaker 3: semifinals at an incredible come from behind win for New Zealand.

13
00:00:51,267 --> 00:00:52,667
Speaker 4: They looked dead.

14
00:00:52,547 --> 00:00:54,867
Speaker 2: In the latter They certainly did. They were behind by

15
00:00:54,907 --> 00:00:57,827
Speaker 2: twenty one at one point, but ended up winning it

16
00:00:57,987 --> 00:01:02,067
Speaker 2: ninety eighty six, and we now faced China in the semifinals.

17
00:01:02,427 --> 00:01:05,467
Speaker 2: Eleven o'clock tonight, New Zealand Time. We're joined by point

18
00:01:05,467 --> 00:01:08,347
Speaker 2: guard Taylor Britt, who suffered an ankle injury in the

19
00:01:08,387 --> 00:01:11,427
Speaker 2: quarter final and was forced to play just a limited role.

20
00:01:11,467 --> 00:01:13,627
Speaker 2: So let's start there, can we Taylor? How is the ankle?

21
00:01:13,867 --> 00:01:16,787
Speaker 2: Are you going to be okay for the semi Yeah?

22
00:01:16,867 --> 00:01:19,507
Speaker 4: Yeah, they're a little banged up, but she'll be right.

23
00:01:19,787 --> 00:01:21,667
Speaker 2: All right, good stuff. That's good to hear. Good to

24
00:01:21,667 --> 00:01:23,947
Speaker 2: get the injury report out of the way first. Now,

25
00:01:23,987 --> 00:01:27,787
Speaker 2: can we talk about the first quarter against Lebanon? What

26
00:01:27,827 --> 00:01:29,467
Speaker 2: on earth happened in that first quarter?

27
00:01:31,027 --> 00:01:32,027
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a great question.

28
00:01:34,027 --> 00:01:37,507
Speaker 3: I guess like we knew, we knew the intensity that

29
00:01:37,907 --> 00:01:41,987
Speaker 3: they play with the really passionate group of players, and yeah,

30
00:01:42,147 --> 00:01:44,307
Speaker 3: it's I guess it's still caught us by surprise and

31
00:01:44,547 --> 00:01:47,907
Speaker 3: they got on top of us there throwing the first

32
00:01:47,907 --> 00:01:51,627
Speaker 3: punch like that. But yeah, it definitely was not an

33
00:01:51,707 --> 00:01:52,747
Speaker 3: idea where to start the game.

34
00:01:52,947 --> 00:01:55,627
Speaker 2: Yeah, thirty two twelve at quarter time, but you know,

35
00:01:55,707 --> 00:01:58,507
Speaker 2: you could easily have let that define the whole game.

36
00:01:58,547 --> 00:02:01,667
Speaker 2: It didn't. But is there much you can do when

37
00:02:01,667 --> 00:02:03,867
Speaker 2: a team just shooting the lights out like that?

38
00:02:06,387 --> 00:02:08,587
Speaker 4: Yeah, I guess it's it's on us to.

39
00:02:08,547 --> 00:02:11,627
Speaker 3: Come together as staking eat it as a group. And really,

40
00:02:11,947 --> 00:02:14,907
Speaker 3: I guess Honan, defensively, there was a great crowd there,

41
00:02:15,987 --> 00:02:18,587
Speaker 3: which you know drowned out at a lot of our talks,

42
00:02:18,587 --> 00:02:21,307
Speaker 3: So we just needed to be better talking and staying

43
00:02:21,547 --> 00:02:23,387
Speaker 3: connected as five people on defense?

44
00:02:23,947 --> 00:02:27,147
Speaker 2: What sort of messages were you know, you're being given

45
00:02:27,187 --> 00:02:30,107
Speaker 2: by your coaching staff, you know what sort of conversations

46
00:02:30,147 --> 00:02:32,387
Speaker 2: when you could hear them we're going on out there,

47
00:02:32,507 --> 00:02:34,667
Speaker 2: and particularly at halftime as well, you know you're still

48
00:02:34,707 --> 00:02:37,587
Speaker 2: fifteen behind. But it really sort of got better from

49
00:02:37,627 --> 00:02:37,907
Speaker 2: there on.

50
00:02:39,427 --> 00:02:42,627
Speaker 3: Yeah, I guess Juddy towards the end of that first

51
00:02:42,707 --> 00:02:46,067
Speaker 3: quarter just really put it out on the table there

52
00:02:46,307 --> 00:02:49,707
Speaker 3: basically just challenged us. It's just saying that we weren't

53
00:02:50,187 --> 00:02:54,347
Speaker 3: playing at the with the physicality or effort that we

54
00:02:54,427 --> 00:02:57,947
Speaker 3: needed to do. So he challenged us, and I guess

55
00:02:58,067 --> 00:03:00,587
Speaker 3: from that point on we responded as a playing group.

56
00:03:01,627 --> 00:03:03,747
Speaker 2: Was there a point at which you thought the game

57
00:03:03,787 --> 00:03:07,267
Speaker 2: had swung back in your favor or was swinging back

58
00:03:07,307 --> 00:03:09,067
Speaker 2: and you you had the momentum of the game.

59
00:03:11,067 --> 00:03:11,707
Speaker 4: I'm not sure if.

60
00:03:11,667 --> 00:03:14,667
Speaker 3: There's a pin point, but I think you know, we

61
00:03:15,027 --> 00:03:18,547
Speaker 3: knew that basketble is a gamer runs and twenty points

62
00:03:18,627 --> 00:03:22,787
Speaker 3: is you know, it was done the day before in

63
00:03:22,827 --> 00:03:26,387
Speaker 3: the game, so we knew it was possible, and we

64
00:03:26,467 --> 00:03:29,147
Speaker 3: just need to stay stay together as it, stay together

65
00:03:29,187 --> 00:03:31,387
Speaker 3: as a group and slowly chip away at it. And

66
00:03:31,467 --> 00:03:34,267
Speaker 3: I guess it when it gets to single digits, you know,

67
00:03:35,187 --> 00:03:37,147
Speaker 3: anything can really happen at that stage.

68
00:03:37,907 --> 00:03:40,387
Speaker 2: Do you get a sense from your opposition that they're

69
00:03:40,667 --> 00:03:44,387
Speaker 2: not necessarily panicking, but realizing that you guys are on

70
00:03:44,427 --> 00:03:47,187
Speaker 2: the charge and it's down to single digits and you're

71
00:03:47,187 --> 00:03:49,747
Speaker 2: getting closer and closer. Can you sense that in your

72
00:03:49,787 --> 00:03:50,787
Speaker 2: opposition as well?

73
00:03:52,867 --> 00:03:56,427
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'd say I'd say they would probably feel how

74
00:03:56,467 --> 00:03:58,947
Speaker 3: we were feeling in that fresh quarter, like they couldn't

75
00:03:58,947 --> 00:04:03,747
Speaker 3: get stops and you know, couldn't make shots. But yeah,

76
00:04:04,107 --> 00:04:06,107
Speaker 3: I think I think as the game goes on and

77
00:04:06,147 --> 00:04:07,827
Speaker 3: you know, it starts to get a bit closer, you

78
00:04:07,867 --> 00:04:08,907
Speaker 3: definitely get that feeling.

79
00:04:09,587 --> 00:04:11,707
Speaker 2: So how much confidence do you take forward into the

80
00:04:11,707 --> 00:04:13,947
Speaker 2: semi final and not saying that you want to take

81
00:04:13,987 --> 00:04:16,947
Speaker 2: the same strategy again and come from twenty one points down,

82
00:04:16,947 --> 00:04:19,067
Speaker 2: but how much confidence do you take from overturning a

83
00:04:19,107 --> 00:04:21,867
Speaker 2: deficit like that to win such a big game.

84
00:04:23,347 --> 00:04:27,027
Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll definitely try abist to avoid that that strategy,

85
00:04:27,707 --> 00:04:30,587
Speaker 3: but yeah, it does give us confidence.

86
00:04:30,667 --> 00:04:32,387
Speaker 4: You know, we've got twelve guys.

87
00:04:32,187 --> 00:04:37,547
Speaker 3: Here that can play, and our depth was really shown

88
00:04:39,227 --> 00:04:42,347
Speaker 3: last night, guys like Carlin I thought he came in

89
00:04:42,387 --> 00:04:46,227
Speaker 3: and changed the game with his energy and Maximo doing.

90
00:04:46,067 --> 00:04:47,507
Speaker 4: What they've been doing for out the tournament.

91
00:04:47,507 --> 00:04:49,707
Speaker 3: But yeah, it give us a lot of confidence, you know,

92
00:04:50,267 --> 00:04:52,987
Speaker 3: coming back from twenty that you know, we've seen that

93
00:04:53,067 --> 00:04:54,627
Speaker 3: if we do the right things and what we've been

94
00:04:54,667 --> 00:04:57,267
Speaker 3: asked to do, that the results follow after that.

95
00:04:57,707 --> 00:05:00,027
Speaker 2: How gutting was it for you? I mean everyone wants

96
00:05:00,067 --> 00:05:01,907
Speaker 2: to play, right, I'm sure you wanted to carry on.

97
00:05:02,267 --> 00:05:04,267
Speaker 2: Did you just come to the realization that you're just

98
00:05:04,787 --> 00:05:07,107
Speaker 2: the ankle was no good and it would be better

99
00:05:07,147 --> 00:05:09,267
Speaker 2: for the team if you if you sat down for

100
00:05:09,307 --> 00:05:11,467
Speaker 2: the rest of the game. Hard as that decision would

101
00:05:11,507 --> 00:05:12,027
Speaker 2: have been.

102
00:05:13,547 --> 00:05:17,947
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it's always tough, kind of just I just

103
00:05:18,067 --> 00:05:20,947
Speaker 3: said I could do what do what I was needed

104
00:05:20,987 --> 00:05:23,787
Speaker 3: to do, and you know, we were we were playing well,

105
00:05:23,907 --> 00:05:27,227
Speaker 3: so Flinny was doing a great job out there taking

106
00:05:27,267 --> 00:05:32,307
Speaker 3: control of the team, and yeah, just stayed ready. I

107
00:05:32,347 --> 00:05:34,787
Speaker 3: guess if if I was if I was needed, But yeah, luckily,

108
00:05:34,947 --> 00:05:35,987
Speaker 3: luckily I wasn't needed.

109
00:05:36,107 --> 00:05:37,667
Speaker 2: All right, But you're going to be okay for the semmer,

110
00:05:37,827 --> 00:05:40,427
Speaker 2: Like you feel like you're we're it strapped up and

111
00:05:40,467 --> 00:05:41,427
Speaker 2: you'll you'll be good to go.

112
00:05:42,787 --> 00:05:43,427
Speaker 4: That's the plan.

113
00:05:44,587 --> 00:05:46,667
Speaker 2: A good plan too. What are the parts of the

114
00:05:46,707 --> 00:05:49,547
Speaker 2: Tour Blacks game that have got better as the tournament

115
00:05:49,587 --> 00:05:50,267
Speaker 2: has progressed.

116
00:05:53,707 --> 00:05:56,907
Speaker 3: We've got a real emphasis on pace with this group,

117
00:05:56,947 --> 00:05:59,747
Speaker 3: and I think we've been doing a really good job

118
00:06:00,547 --> 00:06:04,067
Speaker 3: on on that so far. But that that, I guess

119
00:06:04,107 --> 00:06:06,267
Speaker 3: where we went wrong in that first quarter.

120
00:06:06,587 --> 00:06:08,107
Speaker 4: We weren't rebounding the ball.

121
00:06:08,267 --> 00:06:12,147
Speaker 3: We gave up sex or so offensive rebounds, which made

122
00:06:12,227 --> 00:06:14,827
Speaker 3: us play at a pace that we don't want to

123
00:06:14,827 --> 00:06:18,107
Speaker 3: be playing yet. So I'd say that's been the bit

124
00:06:18,347 --> 00:06:21,107
Speaker 3: that's been really really good for us progressing every game.

125
00:06:21,627 --> 00:06:23,427
Speaker 2: How do you reckon your match up against China?

126
00:06:26,227 --> 00:06:28,467
Speaker 4: We haven't looked at looked at them yet.

127
00:06:28,707 --> 00:06:31,987
Speaker 3: We're about to have a film session, so you know,

128
00:06:32,027 --> 00:06:34,467
Speaker 3: we like our chances against eve Run in this tournament.

129
00:06:35,227 --> 00:06:37,667
Speaker 3: If we play the brand of two blacks Bickeble that

130
00:06:37,787 --> 00:06:40,747
Speaker 3: we're looking to play, you know, we feel like we

131
00:06:40,747 --> 00:06:41,507
Speaker 3: can beat anyone.

132
00:06:41,587 --> 00:06:43,707
Speaker 4: So I think it's on us and.

133
00:06:43,667 --> 00:06:47,067
Speaker 3: Then we'll look at what we can do in terms

134
00:06:47,067 --> 00:06:49,667
Speaker 3: of scout in a couple of in a couple of hours.

135
00:06:49,867 --> 00:06:53,067
Speaker 2: He made a comment before about the about the noise. Yeah,

136
00:06:53,107 --> 00:06:55,667
Speaker 2: it sounds like the Lebanese fans make quite a bit

137
00:06:55,707 --> 00:06:58,547
Speaker 2: of noise even during the haker. How did you respond

138
00:06:58,587 --> 00:07:02,427
Speaker 2: to that, Yeah, it was quite quite loud.

139
00:07:02,467 --> 00:07:05,827
Speaker 3: I was next to Natai and he was leading and

140
00:07:05,907 --> 00:07:07,747
Speaker 3: I could we could hardly hear them, but you know,

141
00:07:07,827 --> 00:07:11,387
Speaker 3: it's it's awesome. I guess we as players want to

142
00:07:11,387 --> 00:07:15,707
Speaker 3: play in environments like that. It's yeah, it makes the

143
00:07:15,947 --> 00:07:18,867
Speaker 3: makes the game a lot more entertaining for us. I

144
00:07:18,907 --> 00:07:23,747
Speaker 3: guess we're responding to that challenge that they've been the

145
00:07:23,787 --> 00:07:27,507
Speaker 3: fans of set then. Yeah, it's a lot of fun

146
00:07:27,547 --> 00:07:29,067
Speaker 3: playing in environments like that.

147
00:07:29,347 --> 00:07:31,067
Speaker 2: A few Kiwis in the crowd as well. I saw

148
00:07:31,107 --> 00:07:33,987
Speaker 2: a few few Kiwi flags and Black singers. You've got

149
00:07:33,987 --> 00:07:35,307
Speaker 2: a bit of a bit of on the ground support

150
00:07:35,307 --> 00:07:35,707
Speaker 2: over there.

151
00:07:36,867 --> 00:07:39,467
Speaker 4: Yeah, we've seen a few. We've seen a few out there.

152
00:07:40,707 --> 00:07:40,867
Speaker 3: You know.

153
00:07:41,187 --> 00:07:43,027
Speaker 4: It's always good to see the Kiwi flags out in

154
00:07:43,067 --> 00:07:43,427
Speaker 4: the crowd.

155
00:07:43,907 --> 00:07:46,547
Speaker 2: Good stuff, all right, Well, hopefully they're hopefully they're there

156
00:07:46,547 --> 00:07:48,107
Speaker 2: for the semi final. I'm sure there will be, Taylor,

157
00:07:48,147 --> 00:07:50,267
Speaker 2: Thanks for joining us. I hope the ankle's okay, strap

158
00:07:50,267 --> 00:07:52,187
Speaker 2: it up and get out there. Look forward to seeing

159
00:07:52,187 --> 00:07:54,267
Speaker 2: how you go, Taylor britt point guard out of the

160
00:07:54,267 --> 00:07:57,547
Speaker 2: Tall Blacks tonight eleven o'clock New Zealand time they take

161
00:07:57,587 --> 00:08:01,627
Speaker 2: on China in the semifinals. Australia and Iran in the

162
00:08:01,987 --> 00:08:04,747
Speaker 2: second of the semis, that's four o'clock tomorrow morning, and

163
00:08:04,787 --> 00:08:07,667
Speaker 2: then third and fourth place playoff and the so regardless

164
00:08:07,667 --> 00:08:09,347
Speaker 2: of the result, New Zealand will play one more game

165
00:08:09,387 --> 00:08:11,627
Speaker 2: they want to play the Grand Final. China won all

166
00:08:11,667 --> 00:08:13,827
Speaker 2: of their games in Paul play and then got past

167
00:08:14,427 --> 00:08:18,667
Speaker 2: Korea South Korea in the quarterfinals seventy nine seventy one,

168
00:08:18,867 --> 00:08:22,027
Speaker 2: so it's a pretty good matchup eleven o'clock tonight, we'll

169
00:08:22,147 --> 00:08:23,667
Speaker 2: be sure to cover it off for you on the show.

170
00:08:24,307 --> 00:08:27,507
Speaker 1: For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live

171
00:08:27,587 --> 00:08:30,907
Speaker 1: to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow

172
00:08:30,947 --> 00:08:32,547
Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio