BEIRUT (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - New Zealand are looking to bounce back after a loss to Korea on Saturday, and they have a chance here in the Quarter-Finals against Jordan.

The Tall Blacks looked well on their way to sweeping Group C before they got hijacked by the speedy and streaky Koreans. Against Jordan, New Zealand don't have to worry too much about speed, but they will have to adjust to Al Nashama's size and physicality. Coach Sam Daghlas has a bevy of weapons at his disposal who can inflict damage on New Zealand, so the Kiwis have to tighten all the screws on defense.

Key Matchups: The complexion of this game will be heavily influenced by the floor generals. Shea Ili will square off with Mahmoud Abdeen, and whoever plays better will give his squad the inside track to the victory. Both are among the scoring leaders for their respective teams, but both are also points of attack in terms of being playmakers. Ili is the more explosive of the two, though, so Abdeen will have to step up on the defensive end of the floor.

Key Stats: Rebounding is going to be extremely crucial. Jordan are a much better rebounding squad with 44 boards per game, while New Zealand are grabbing just around 35 a game. If the Tall Blacks allow Jordan to rule the rebounding battle, Al Nashama will be in a very good position to inflict back-to-back losses on the Kiwis. This means that, for New Zealand, frontliners Finn Delany and Samuel Timmins will really have to bring their A-game.

FIBA