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NEW Zealand's Tall Blacks came, they saw and they concurred - the Australian Boomers are worthy defenders of the FIBA Asia Cup's Gold Medal and ready to take on Lebanon in tonight's Final in Jakarta after claiming their semi final 85-76 last night. Big shots late by William McDowell-White sank the Kiwis.

But he was far from the Boomers' only hero.

If Thon Maker doesn't win tournament MVP it would be a crime of epic proportions for his name to also be absent when the Cup's All Star Five is read out.

Maker has re-established himself as a viable Boomer and goes into tonight's Final against Lebanon averaging a team-best 17.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per match.

His 2.2 assists ranks only behind the Boomers' playmakers McDowell-White (5.8) and Mitch McCarron (5.6), both of whom had seven as Australia despatched New Zealand in the semi final.

As predicted, this was the game of the tournament for both teams, Australia seizing the lead and New Zealand never willing to concede.

Leading 75-69, the Boomers still had the Tall Blacks playing catch-up when Kruz Perrott-Hunt sank the most unlikely of 3-pointers.

It was the type of long-range (mis)guided missile which years back would have had coaches screaming: "No, no, no....nice shot"  but which today are the norm, courtesy of the Steph Curry era.

Worse still, McCarron fouled Perrott-Hunt, who sank the additional free throw for 73-75 with 3:37 left to play.

Just when it felt as if this would go right to the wire, McCarron fed a sweet dish to Maker who stepped into a threeball and sent it swishing through the basket. 

Maker was not having as profound an influence as in previous games but was huge down the stretch, his big-time basket taking it to 78-73.

Sam Froling came up with a steal, Alex Ducas found Mc Dowell-White open in the corner and the dazzling playmaker sank a three of his own.

Heartbeats after being a basket ahead and pulses racing, Maker and McDowel-White had cooled the crowd with the score now at 81-73.

Inside the last two minutes, Tohi Smith-Milner sank a triple for New Zealand which McDowell-White then erased with his fourth 3-pointer of the semi final.

At 84-76 ahead, this battle was won.

McDowell-White finished with 15 points at 63 per cent, with seven assists and three rebounds. His performance may have driven NZ Breakers NBL fans a little crazy.

McCarron had one rebound with his 13-point, seven-assist haul, and an additional game-high four steals, plus a team-high couple of blocks for good measure.

Lebanon held out Jordan 86-85 in the other semi final, strongly installing Australia as the favourite for tonight's Final and a successful defence of the Asia Cup won in 2017.

ASIA CUP SEMI FINALS: AUSTRALIA BOOMERS 85 (Maker 18, McDowell-White 15, McCarron, Proctor 13, Pinder 11; Maker 9 rebs; McDowell-White, McCarron 7 assts) d NEW ZEALAND TALL BLACKS 76 (Hunt, Timmins 16, Cameron 15, Perrott-Hunt 11; Timmins 8 rebs; Perrott-Hunt, Cameron 4 assts). LEBANON 86 (Arakji 25, Darwich 18, Ezzedine 14, Haidar 10; Darwich, Haidar 8 rebs; Gyokchyan 4 assts) d JORDAN 85 (Hawwas 24, Ibrahim 17, Tucker 15, Bzai 12; Tucker 9 rebs; Ibrahim 4 assts). PICS courtesy of FIBA.com