Basketball World Cup 2019: Tall Blacks not blinking against Greece, Antetokounmpo

Tall Blacks forward Finn Delany is putting on a brave face, as his team approaches their biggest challenge of the Basketball World Cup so far - a showdown with NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece.

After edging Montenegro in the second pool game, the New Zealand basketballers know they have a chance of progressing to the second round, if they came overcome the world No.8 team.

But the Greeks' loss to Brazil means another defeat would eliminate them, something the super-athletic Antetokounmpo (2.11m/6ft 11in) will be keen to avoid.

Delany, who played in the NBA Summer League with Dallas Mavericks, will likely draw some defensive duties on the Milwaukee Bucks forward, but isn't daunted.

"I'm super excited," he says. "We know we can compete and beat anybody here, so we bring that confidence and belief into any game.

"We control our fate, which is always what you want - it's a good thing. Win and we're alive."

The Tall Blacks take some confidence from their results over the past two weeks, when they have pushed European powerhouses Serbia and France, beat Italy and Montenegro, and probably should have beaten the Brazilians in their World Cup opener.

Greece offers a similar style to those other European teams, although Antetokounmpo - also known as the 'Greek Freak' - has only shown glimpses of his NBA form during this tournament, averaging only 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in just 22.3 minutes per game.

So far, New Zealand have played an up-tempo style, averaging 93.5 points a game, while Greece are more deliberate.

"The Greeks are talented, and have a lot of skill and big players," says Delany. "They play in the post a lot, similar to the Montenegrans, so we have to defend that.

"They'll probably run a bit more, so transition defence is big.

"We need to show them different stuff and play our brand of basketball - play like we've got nothing to lose, because we don't."

He warns against focusing too much on Antetokounmpo and his ability to take over a game.

"It's a team game," he says. "There are four other people on the floor at once and those other four are pretty big guys, so we just play our game." 

Greece will also have to find a way to slow Tall Blacks shooter Corey Webster, who has emerged as one of the tournament's top scorers, averaging 22 points a game and converting 55 percent from the three-point arc.

While they won't be looking too far ahead, the road won't get any easier for the Kiwis, if they do progress to the next round, where their first game would be against the defending champions, USA.

Newshub.