The Tall Blacks have qualified for the 2023 Basketball World Cup, defeating Jordan 100-72 at Auckland to book their ticket.
Led by a solid outing from Shea Ili (16 points, five assists, five rebounds), the NZ men earned their sixth successive victory in qualifying, left as the only unbeaten side in Group E.
The result means the Tall Blacks cannot be overtaken in the race to qualify, with the top three finishers advancing to the World Cup. Lebanon and tournament co-hosts Philippines currently hold second and third place in the group.
Building depth for the future, youngsters Ben Gold (15 points) and Flynn Cameron (13 points, six assists) chipped in to support Ili's effort. Ethan Rusbatch and Reuben Te Rangi also scored in double figures, hitting 14 and 11 points each.
"We felt great," said Ili. "Coming into this game, I felt we were well prepared.
"The coaches put out a great scout for us and I felt we executed it. It kind of showed on the [scoreboard]."
For Jordan, the pair of Dar Tucker and Amin Abu Hawwas also added 19 apiece, but fell short of the collective effort of the Tall Blacks scorers.
The Kiwis still have four games remaining in their World Cup qualifying, but sealing their spot gives coach Pero Cameron the chance to experiment with his squad before next year's tournament.
This is the seventh time New Zealand have qualified for the Basketball World Cup and the sixth time in succession.
The tournament will be held from August 25-September 10, hosted by Japan, Philippines and Indonesia.
