Sparked by a stand-out performance from shooting guard Kirk Penney, the Tall Blacks kicked back into life with a 89-81 win over South Korea in Auckland on Saturday.
The win wrapped a 2-1 series victory for the New Zealanders, after they won the first match in Wellington 102-69 before losing the second in Tauranga 76-75.
After a subdued showing on Thursday, Penney hit back with a dominant showing at North Shore Events Centre. He posted a game-high 26 points, proving particularly effective outside the paint in nailing four from five three-pointers.
Skipper Mika Vukona was in outstanding form, particularly on the defensive boards, picking up 15 rebounds, forcing three turnovers and picking up a couple of steals while also contributing a useful eight points.
The Tall Blacks showed more intensity on attack right from the first whistle, taking a 24-14 lead into the first break before opening the second quarter with a 12-0 scoring run.
South Korea never really recovered, trailing by 20 at halftime as the New Zealanders took a 52-32 lead into the break.
The visitors edged the third spell 28-26 as the Tall Blacks led 78-60 at the three-quarter mark, then roared back in the final quarter to narrow the gap to just eight at the final whistle.
The Tall Blacks now travel to South Korea for two more games before moving on to China then heading to Europe to complete a substantial build-up for next month's World Cup in Spain.
They will be without centre Alex Pledger, who is out for at least four weeks with a torn foot tendon.
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