Adelaide 36ers captain Dejan Vasiljevic's perimeter brilliance in front of his home NBL audience and a third-quarter masterclass of smothering team defence have launched the Boomers to an 80-68 victory over New Zealand.
In the opening game of the inaugural Trans-Tasman Throwdown on Wednesday, Australia were behind the eight-ball in the opening two quarters in front of 8447 fans at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre before seizing total control with a 23-9 third term.
Vasiljevic (23 points) and Perth Wildcats guard Elijah Pepper (16) knocked down five three-pointers each in the first meeting between the two countries since the 2022 Asia Cup semi-finals in Jakarta, which the Boomers won, and the first bilateral series between the rivals since 2015.
"Really pleased with our defensive effort in the second half," Australia coach Dean Vickerman said.
"Once we really sat down and slowed down their pace, we made it more difficult for them to put their feet in the keyway.
"There will be really good learnings from that one about how we get better as a group."
New Zealand Breaker Reuben Te Rangi paced the Kiwis with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Melbourne United's Shea Ili contributed 12 points.
With former 36er and Chicago Bulls star Josh Giddey sitting courtside with the Atlanta Hawks' Dyson Daniels, voted the NBA's 2024-25 Most Improved Player, the Boomers were sluggish out of the blocks.
The tourists, behind veterans Te Rangi and Ili, attacked the paint hard to lead 27-23 on Tohi Smith-Milner's layup on the quarter-time buzzer.
Vasiljevic single-handedly kept the Boomers afloat in the first half, hitting a pair of triples early in the second stanza to briefly give the hosts the lead.
NZ snatched it back through Te Rangi and finished the half on an 8-2 run to hold sway 42-37 at the main break.
Ili had the 22nd-ranked Tall Blacks leading world No.7 Australia 46-39 early in the third and the visitors' advantage was still led 51-48 before they crumbled spectacularly.
From 6:08 remaining in the third quarter to 8:38 left in the fourth, NZ missed 14 straight shots and were outscored 15-0 in the face of the Aussies' withering defence.
The Boomers' buffer swelled to 18 as Pepper caught fire in the fourth.
The second match of the three-game series will be at Sunshine Coast's UniSC Arena on Friday.
