Broekhoff praises Tall Blacks, Bright Stars wins

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

“You want to see those connected to the NBL doing well."

Monday night was a good night for the NBL-affiliated teams currently playing in the World Cup.

South Sudan earned a historic first win in the nation’s short history in the tournament, while New Zealand overcame Jordan to register its first win and keep its hopes alive of progressing through to the next stage.

Across both games there were NBL24 stars shining for their respective teams. Majok Deng and Sunday Dech each played crucial roles in the Bright Stars’ win, while Izayah Le’Afa, Finn Delany and Shea Ili built the foundations for the Tall Blacks’ victory.

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Speaking on NBL Today: World Cup Edition, former Boomers and South East Melbourne wing Ryan Broekhoff says it’s a good feeling to see both of those nations thriving on the world stage – particularly South Sudan.

“You want to see those connected to the NBL doing well, and I’m just pumped they (South Sudan) got their first win,” he said.

“What an amazing story, how far they’ve come in such a short amount of time. They were so thrilled and you saw the celebrations and what it meant to all the players. It was a beautiful moment.

“They should have probably won the first game and if they win two you probably pencil them in to go into the next round.

"There’s still a bit of work to be done but it’s a great achievement by those boys.”

While South Sudan absolutely dispatched China to the tune of 20 points, the Tall Blacks were made to scrap and fight for their victory over Jordan.

11 points in the final two minutes of regulation for Jordan star Rondae Hollis-Jefferson pushed the game to overtime where New Zealand steadied the ship and emerged as eight-point winners.

Broekhoff believes poor decision-making almost cost the Tall Blacks the game.

“[There were] decision you shake your head at. You’re up four, don’t foul on a three-point shot. Don’t turn the ball over down the stretch,” he said. “It was heart-stopping stuff.

“Pero Cameron is not the type of coach you want to mess around with and tick off – he’s a bit of a scary boy. I remember trying to get around some screens of his back in the day and he’s a solid man.

“There were huge contributions from NBL guys all over. Finn Delany was good, Yanni (Wetzell) was really solid in patches – just a few little brain explosions towards the end.

“The NBL players that are coming through and now producing for the national team are doing such a great job.

“It sets up a huge game against Greece, whoever wins that game goes through to the next round.”

The World Cup action continues tonight when Australia takes on Japan at 9:10pm AEST live on ESPN.