Leandrinho Barbosa (R) of Brazil shoots during the group F match between Brazil and New Zealand at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Han Yuqing)
NANJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Former NBA champion Leandrinho Barbosa led his national team to claim a nervy yet convincing 102-94 victory over New Zealand to open its first round matches in FIBA Basketball World Cup on Sunday.
The former Golden State Warriors player maintained his mojo and posted a match-leading 22 points. Brazil's Cristiano Felicio, center of Chicago Bulls, protected the rim with 14 rebounds. New Zealand's guard Corey Webster battled hard with 19 points.
Brazil's guard Didi Louzada and NBA veteran Anderson Varejao showcased their aggressive attack to open the first quarter with three shots and rim attack. But they soon were troubled by fouls which gave New Zealand the time to breathe with free throws to rally back.
The match turned tenser in the second quarter as the Kiwis start to pour in three-pointers to lead 28-25. But Barbosa showed he still got gas with tough driving layups and jump shots to help his team in the game.
It was a 50-50 tie-game at the half, but the Brazilians became ruthless and opened the second half with plenty of three-pointers to put on a 16-2 burst to turn the match into a runaway. New Zealand could not keep pace and rally in the final minutes to hold off Brazil's harsh attack and end up wilting to lose its first World Cup match.
With a couple of current and former NBA players, Brazil is scheduled to play against one of the title favorites Greece led by NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on Tuesday.
