A pair of freebies from Reuben Te Rangi served as the getaway for New Zealand to evade final period blunder against Egypt, 88-86, at their final match of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Pasay’s Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, Sept. 2.
The Tall Blacks led by as much as 14, including a submission of a 12-point margin, 75-63, with 8:13 remaining via Te Rangi’s three. But a 20-7 sprint led by Anas Mahmoud placed The Pharaohs ahead by one-possession game, 83-82, with over two minutes left thanks to Ehab Amin’s trifecta.
A free throw sink from Finn Delany and Jordan Ngatai lifted New Zealand by three, 86-83, with 1:18 on the clock. Yet, Amr El Gendy quickly responded with a triple to tie the thriller for Egypt.
But as Te Rangi dropped his foul shots, Egypt failed to deliver either an equalizer or a go-ahead bucket to cap off their World Cup activities with a victory.
Delany and Izayah Le’Afa took the lead for the Tall Blacks with 27 points each, outplaying the 19-point shooting of both Amin and El Gendy.
New Zealand and Egypt took the exit of the 2023 World Cup with both having an identical 2-3 Group Phase card.
With the defeat, Egypt lost the African race toward the 2024 Paris Olympics — leaving the tournament debutants South Sudan as the victors of the lone direct ticket to Paris.
