Not ideal but pretty much expected. Team China opened its FIBA World Cup campaign with a resounding defeat to powerhouse Serbia — a result that ultimately does not alter China's chances of pulling off its challenging Olympic qualifying mission.

Zhao Rui (R) of China breaks through during the Group B match between Serbia and China at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Zhuang)

Indeed, it was business as usual on the practice court at PhiSports Arena in southeastern Manila on Sunday, as the familiar sounds of squeaking shoes and bouncing balls mixed with the jokes and laughter of the players — suggesting the mood in the Team China camp had not been adversely affected by the 105-63 defeat to Group B favorite Serbia less than 24 hours earlier.

The 42-point margin made for an unwanted record — the biggest at the tournament by the end of Day 2.The vibe within the Chinese squad, however, remains positive and they are unfazed for a reason.

Led by Serbian coach Aleksandar Djordjevic, Team China gave minutes to all 12 of its players, spread out between starters and a second unit. Backbone center Zhou Qi and sharpshooting forward Zhang Zhenlin were used sparingly, allowing young backcourt combo Zhao Rui and Hu Mingxuan to gain experience on the global stage.

The goal was not to keep the losing margin to a minimum against the mighty Serbia. Instead, Team China approached the game as an in-competition drill to toughen up for its two critical group games — against South Sudan on Monday and Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

"After such a big loss, of course, we felt frustrated, but we have moved on from it knowing that our real battle begins with the next one," Zhao, who top-scored for Team China with 17 points, said on Sunday.

"It was a good starting matchup for us, though, in the sense of challenging the group's top team and measuring ourselves against them.

"Next up we will need to use what we learned from this loss and try to produce our best against South Sudan tomorrow," added Zhao, who shot a team-high 53.8 percent from the field on Saturday.

The emotional encounter against his native country and former players was a bittersweet experience for Team China coach Djordjevic, who turned 56 on Saturday.

"Our players are doing their best. They're working exceptionally hard," Djordjevic said in the post-game news conference.

"You have to learn to play against the best. You have to learn and try your best. And a time will come when China is going to be the winning team against those big teams," added Djordjevic.

Desperate to snap up the only direct Olympic qualification berth for Asian teams available at the World Cup, Team China is set to go all out in its second Group B game against South Sudan, an athletic squad bolstered by NBA forward Wenyen Gabriel (Los Angeles Lakers) and prolific guard Carlik Jones (Chicago Bulls).

A win over the World Cup debutant, the lowest-ranked team in Group B, would give China a more favorable ranking for the second group phase to edge out the other Asian teams — the host Philippines, co-host Japan, Lebanon, Jordan and Iran — for the Olympic ticket.

The experiences of going head-to-head against ex-NBA players in the domestic league should help brace China for the firepower of South Sudan, Zhao reckons.

"I've played against some of the higher-level American guards at the club. I am prepared to try to contain him with all I got, and of course it will take our whole team's effort to do it," Zhao said of the prospect of facing Jones, who scored a tournament-high 38 points in an overtime loss to Puerto Rico on Friday.

Jones vowed that South Sudan will make a stronger statement against China.

"Like I said, we tighten up on some of the small things and we will have a good chance to win the game tomorrow," said the Ohio-born Jones.

Kyle's slow start

After shooting 0-for-9 in his first major international game, Kyle Anderson, the first naturalized player in Chinese basketball history, learned the difference between FIBA basketball and the NBA the hard way.

The versatile forward, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA, joined Team China through his mother's family heritage as a major reinforcement carrying high expectations.

Playing 25 minutes and 49 seconds on Saturday, Anderson — who goes by the Chinese name Li Kaier on the international stage — contributed only four rebounds and four assists, missing all his shots, including some close layups and floaters.

Coach Djordjevic, though, backed Anderson to come good.

"That is one game. For him it is his first time to play against a team like (Serbia) in the World Cup. So, everything needs time," said Djordjevic.

"We are just patient. We know what we have to do, and he knows what he has to do, and that's it."

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