Reuben Te Rangi reacts to New Zealand losing to the USA
New Zealand grabbed the world’s attention with its traditional pregame routine, harnessing its energy to launch the game in high gear. They capitalized on weak points in the USA’s defense, establishing a strong 14-4 lead and enjoying the support of 10,978 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.
However, when the USA altered their defensive tactics, shifting from drop coverage to a switching approach with Paolo Banchero in a key role, they successfully turned the tide and ended the first half with a 45-36 advantage.
Although New Zealand managed to delay the USA’s push for a significant 20-point lead until the game’s late stages, they struggled to narrow the gap to single digits, challenged by the USA’s well-distributed offensive tactics.
“Our first half, we came out and had a lot of fire,” said Reuben Te Rangi, New Zealand. “In the second half we lost a little bit of our legs there, but overall we can take a lot of things from that game, and move them into the next two games.”
Watch the game highlights between the USA and New Zealand in the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023:
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