ON the final day of the classification round for teams ranked 17-32, New Zealand edged past Egypt to the tune of two points at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Both New Zealand and Egypt did not qualify for the second round, but still competed for the highest ranked spot for sides outside the top 16. The Tall Blacks certainly had the capability to get the job done here, but Egypt had surprised a few sides throughout the tournament so it was going to be a challenge nonetheless.

The first quarter saw both teams produce some of their best offence of the entire tournament in some high-scoring action. Every New Zealand basket nailed in an attempt to break away on the scoreboard was answered almost every time down the other end, as Egypt led by three points at the first break.

The Tall Blacks put the foot down in a decisive second quarter, putting an emphasis on defensive intensity and holding the opposition to just 10 points for the period. On the back of some strong work from Finn Delany offensively, New Zealand stormed out to a commanding 12-point lead at the main break.

Egypt bit back in the third quarter, snapping the cold streak that haunted it in the second period to get the better of the Tall Blacks coming out of half time. New Zealand could not stop the opposition from scoring, and the deficit was brought back to seven points at the last change.

Things went down to the wire in the dying stages of the game, as Egypt remarkably took the lead on the back of a three-pointer from Ehab Amin with two and a half minutes to play out. The two teams traded buckets to tie things up heading in to the last 30 seconds of the match, before Reuben Te Rangi hit two free throws late to give New Zealand the lead and eventual 88-86 win.

Delany was the star of the show for New Zealand, pouring in the most points of any player on the court with 27 in a decisive display. Anas Mahmoud was Egypt’s best with 16 points and nine rebounds in a gutsy display.

In the remaining results for the day, Finland downed Venezuela by 15 points, South Sudan qualified for the Olympic Games with a win over Angola, while France survived a scare from Cote d’Ivoire to snag a 10-point win. Japan also booked a spot in Paris next year after beating Cape Verde, the Philippines recorded their first win of the tournament as Jordan Clarkson led the team past China, Mexico downed Jordan and Lebanon defeated Iran.