Toothless, timid travesty was truly tough to watch

Before walking into Wukesong Arena on Wednesday night, I would not have believed that the spectators' deafening roar at the final buzzer would be one of anger, not support, for Team China head coach Li Nan.

Incensed fans had every reason to feel shortchanged, given China's disastrous performance in a 72-59 loss to Venezuela that has halted its FIBA World Cup advancement and made it a lot more difficult to qualify for next year's Tokyo Olympics.

Right from the tip-off, the raucous crowd cheered for China, but that sound gradually became a cry of anger as the home team missed rebound after rebound and shot after shot.