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| Tohi Smith-Milner took over for New Zealand against Gilas. FIBA |
MANILA--New Zealand will finish at number one in Group B at the end of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers with an 87-70 rout against Gilas Pilipinas on Sunday at the Spark Arena in Auckland.
The Tall Blacks pulled away late in the first quarter, ending the period with a 30-15 lead behind 6-of-9 shooting from three-point range.
Gilas started the second quarter strong and cut the lead down to eight, but New Zealand recovered and stretched its lead to as high as 28 points in the third.
Gilas had one last gasp and cut the lead down to just 11, but New Zealand held on from there.
Tohi Smith-Milner bucked foul trouble and put up 25 points on five threes, nine rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal for New Zealand, which finished the qualifying phase with a 5-1 record.
Corey Webster added 14 points on 5-for-9 field goals and two assists.
Chris Newsome made 13 points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal to lead Gilas, which ended its ACQ campaign with back-to-back losses after a 4-0 start.
Both teams already qualified for the FIBA Asia Cup with Chinese Taipei, the third-placed team in Group B, playing another round of qualification to determine their fate of making it as well.
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