WUHAN, Hubei province - After a deafeningly quiet summer, the Chinese basketball team is talking again.

Under enormous pressure to deliver a title as host of the FIBA Asia Championship, the team has preferred to quietly go about its business in recent months.

Reporters found the once-open Chinese players suddenly refusing most interview requests after games.

Speculation emerged that coach Bob Donewald had issued a gag order to players before the event, an idea he angrily denied.

"Who said I said that? Who said? So you just made it up? Get your facts right and be professional," Donewald said in response to questions about a possible media ban.

But once the preliminaries were over and the real competition began, players began to open up.

After walking past the post-game media zone during the group stage, some Chinese players began taking questions during the second round and appeared more open than in the days before.

"Some of the media were upset we were staying pretty closed down," Donewald said after a 93-60 win over Jordan on Tueday. "(It was) because we have to keep quietly focused. We are still getting ready.

For Team China's best interest, we just needed to maintain quiet (and not be interrupted by others)."

Facing tough challenges from defending champion Iran and archrival South Korea, China chose to approach its games as an underdog.

"We seem to be at our best right now," Donewald said. "We played better basketball than in the summer. We won't look too far away, but prepare one game each day. That approach is the best way."

Donewald led the squad to a title in the Guangzhou Asian Games last year.

Both the Lebanese and South Korean coaches have hailed Iran as stronger than China.

"I think Iran is a better team than China now," said Lebanon coach Sarkis Ghassan after a 76-45 loss to Iran. "Iran plays very good defense. That team is very balanced inside and outside. They have all the tools to go and (win the title).

"Technically, we feel the Chinese team is not playing as the champion team so far."

Donewald shrugged off the comparisons, stressing his team was "dedicated only to ourselves".

"I know there are a lot of coaches doing a lot of talking. But I won't talk about other teams or coaches. We respect every team we are going against, but we fear none of them," he said.

China Daily