A third-quarter offensive slump has cost the Tall Blacks in their opening match of the Basketball World Cup in China, falling to Brazil.
Both sides took a couple of minutes to find their rhythm, but once that happened they had the crowd on their feet throughout the game.
Webster was the go-to guy for the Tall Blacks throughout the first quarter, but he struggled with his field percentage, so Ethan Rusbatch and Shea Ili felt the brunt of the offensive load.
That changed in the second quarter, as Webster heated up, dropping five three-pointers before half-time to score a game-high 17 points at the half.
The Brazilians shared the scoring around, with Rafa Luz hitting a three-pointer at the end of the first half to tie the game at 50-50 heading into the break.
And that was as good as it got for the Tall Blacks through a horror third quarter, when former NBA champion Leandro Barbosa and veteran Alex Garcia proved the difference. Barbosa finishing with a game-high 22 points and Garcia 14.
The shots weren't dropping for the Kiwis like they were in the first half. Corey Webster failed to add to his total until late in the final stanza and captain Tom Abercrombie had a 100th game to forget, only managing five points in his 23 minutes.
Guard Shea Ili was a bright spark off the bench for New Zealand, scoring 16 points and six assists.
Centre Rob Loe grabbed his first double-double of the tournament, recording 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The result leaves the Tall Blacks in a difficult spot, meaning they will need to upset the world No.8 side Greece if they are to make the knockout round.
New Zealand will take on Montenegro on Tuesday night NZT.
Newshub.
