Basketball On The Internet.

NOW THAT was impressive.

It was tense in TSB Arena in Wellington as New Zealand's Tall Blacks warmed up, focused, intent, determined.

As 4015 filed in to fill the city-based venue, everyone knew what was at stake. But for the Tall Blacks, victory would be insufficient. It had to be victory by 13 points or more.

"Our mindset was never to defend a 12-point lead," Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis said, his game-plan and strategies rising to the challenge.

The Boomers looked every bit as focused when they hit the hardwood, weathering another emotion-charged haka.

They were almost as one, united in the job they had ahead.

They opened aggressively too, Matty Dellavedova leading the way with seven points of their initial 11-4 buffer, the Tall Blacks unable to make their shots, delivering 5-of-16 for the period.

Game 1 star Corey Webster had four points on two tough shots, the second with a particularly high degree of difficulty as the 211cm David Andersen switched on to him, his long arms outstretched.

New Zealand trimmed it to three at 10-13 before former Adelaide 36ers teammates Adam Gibson and Brock Motum conspired for four unanswered points.

Ahead 21-14 at the first break, the Boomers had reasons to feel good considering Andrew Bogut was hit with a phantom foul after 18 seconds of play and had a second when he and Mika Vukona bumped into each other in the open court at 6:34.

When he returned midway through the second quarter, New Zealand was fashioning the first of many runs at the Aussie lead which had moved to 26-18 after Dellavedova fed Andersen for a triple from the top of the key.

Webster ignited the Tall Blacks with a sweet drive aided by a rock solid Vukona screen, before intercepting a pass meant for Chris Goulding.

He pushed the ball up the hardwood, feeding Isaac Fotu for the running slam dunk.

Fotu ran off seven straight points, following his slam with a three before swishing a fadeaway jumpshot.

Dellavedova got the ball to a hesitant Bogut who scored anyway.

His next bucket, a spin for a slam, was more strident.

Patty Mills and Andersen extended the lead to double figures at 40-30 before Reuben Te Rangi iced a three to close the half with the same score as last night's Opals-Tall Ferns' clash.

The Boomers were shooting at a wicked 53 per cent to 38 and enjoying a 20-13 boards edge.

A 7-0 run to start the second half put the Boomers into a commanding position at 47-33, Bogut a colossus at both ends.

When he wasn't terrorising the defensive keyway, he was throwing down a dunk on Broekhoff's missed free throw bringing even begrudging local fans to their feet.

The Tall Blacks dragged it back from a 14-point deficit to 40-49. But when Mika Vukona bricked two free throws, the Boomers swept forward and Mills stuck a triple dagger.

The Aussies twisted the knife with Mills' crosscourt pass for the first of two Brad Newley threes.

Everard Bartlett hit 10 consecutive points to rally the Tall Blacks to be 53-66 at the last break but with Goulding and Bairstow now also offensive factors, the lead spun out to 20 and still was at 80-61 with less than five-and-a-half minutes to play.

A frenzied pressing finale by the Tall Blacks brought the contest back to life, excited the crowd and reinforced the notion the Kiwis won't go down without a dogfight in front of family and friends.

Aussie turnovers and a lack of composure contributed to an extraordinary 16-2 run which drew the deficit to 77-82.

The Boomers then stepped it up again, Delly's three  a back-breaker before the benches were cleared.

Talking back-breakers, the Boomers kept the parlous state of 213cm Bogut's tender back in-house and he showed little evidence of it troubling him in a powerful performance.

But he did it in pain, as my News Corp stories can further inform you.

The Boomers are going to Rio baby. And they did it in style.

AUSTRALIA's Under-17 boys also claimed Oceania gold from New Zealand in the earlier final, setting the scene for the emphatic, take-the-crowd-out-of-it battle which was to follow.

What a shame Rod Laver Arena's 15,000-plus weren't privvy to the two superb Oceania contests - last night and tonight - across the ditch.