NANJING (China) - Brazil used a strong third quarter blast and staved off a late charge from New Zealand to book their first win, 102-94, at the Nanjing Gymnasium of Youth Olympic Games Sport Park to open Group F play at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.

The game opened with a tight first half, with the Tall Blacks hitting 10 three-pointers and Corey Webster's 17 points leading the way. Brazil, meanwhile, struggled from the field, but they eventually found their rhythm in the second period as they headed to the break all tied up, 50-all.

When the teams returned from the lockers in the second half, it was a different story. The Brazilians of coach Aleksandar Petrovic finally found their samba groove, and it was their turn to shoot the lights out and erect a double-digit lead. Coach Paul Henare's Tall Blacks still tried to mount a last ditch comeback, but the Brazilians successfully staved their challenge off till the final buzzer.

Turning Point: Brazil kept in-step with New Zealand in the first half by shooting 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, but they knew they had to do make some drastic adjustments in the second half to put their foes away. Coach Petrovic's wards then used much more efficient ball-movement to find their shooters, sink their threes, spread the floor and finally erect their first double-digit lead of the encounter.

TCL Player of the Game: Leandro Barbosa was named TCL Player of the Game after he recorded 22 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. He also tossed in three triples and shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line as Brazil opened their World Cup campaign with a big win.

Stats Don't Lie: Turnovers killed New Zealand's chances in this game. The Tall Blacks coughed the ball up 15 times compared to just 8 for Brazil. Tai Webster was the chief culprit with 6 turnovers for New Zealand.

Brazil also clamped down their perimeter defense in the second half, shutting down the Tall Blacks' three-point barrage. Coach Henare's boys hit a dozen triples in the first half, but they failed to make a single one in the last two quarters.

Bottom Line: Brazil had to buck a slow start and had to stay strong in the end against a gritty and stubborn New Zealand quintet, but at the end of the day, coach Petrovic's wards got the job done and are now 1-0 in Nanjing. They are set to face powerhouse Greece next, and this win gives them the momentum they need.

As for New Zealand, they need to scramble as they face Montenegro in two days. Another loss effectively boots them out of second round contention, so they'll need to make great adjustments to boost their chances of bouncing back strong.

They Said: "We came to this game with some doubts, and we suffered a lot in the first minutes because of the way they were rebounding. They made a few three-pointers in the firs ten minutes, but at the end, Alex, who had a few days out due to a muscle issue, was the guy who made all these good things for us. He brought some fire to our team." - Brazil head coach Alexandar Petrovic

"It was a tough game. [Corey] Webster did a good job, and it was tough to guard him. In the second half, our coaching did a good job, putting in Alex Garcia. He completely changed the game for us. It’s also an honor to be here. Some people say that I am old. Of course I am not as fast as was a few years ago, but I don’t think that I am old." - Brazil guard Leandro Barbosa

"We let them to make too many open threes, we didn’t do anything different in the second half and they really hit us. Now Montenegro is a must-win for us." - New Zealand guard Corey Webster

FIBA