Dongguan debacle

There are no regrets from our group in terms of what we’ve given, what we’ve sacrificed

KHRIS Middleton and the Americans face uncertainty following their World Cup flop. AFP

DONGGUAN, China — Deposed champion, the United States, lost, 94-89, to Serbia in a dead-rubber at the Basketball World Cup on Thursday, a day after surrendering their 13-year unbeaten run.

A young Team USA made up of second-tier NBA stars were defeated 89-79 in the quarterfinals by France on Wednesday, bringing a premature close to their World Cup title defense.

More significantly, it was the reigning world and Olympic champions’ first defeat in a major competition since the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup.

Thursday’s “classification” game in Dongguan was the final that never was: the holders against the favorites.

The US was down a scarcely believable 32-7 after the first quarter and headed for a big defeat, before clawing back some of the deficit and a degree of pride.

Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings, the only remaining member of the triumphant 2016 Rio Olympic roster, said: “There are no regrets from our group in terms of what we’ve given, what we’ve sacrificed.”

“The commitment everyone has made away from their families, their teams, their organizations.”

There was no medal up for grabs and the US had already qualified for next summer’s Tokyo Games.

But there was added spice after Serbia’s coach said prior to the World Cup that if the Americans met his team, “May god help them.”

Sasha Djordjevic dismissed the comment as motivational irony, but said that he could see the US was still shell-shocked from the France defeat in the first quarter.

Gregg Popovich’s team failed to score a point during one barren five-minute period.

A rout was on the cards for Serbia, whose tournament also came to a surprise quarterfinal end, at the hands of Argentina.

The 70-year-old Popovich chewed his lip and brooded.

But the US fought back in the second quarter and reduced the gap to just four points at halftime.

Going into the fourth quarter, Serbia — led once more by the Sacramento Kings’ Bogdan Bogdanovic — was only three points ahead.

But the US comeback fell narrowly short and they have another classification match on Saturday to decide who finishes seventh and eighth.

Bogdanovic, who has been one of the players of the tournament in China, led all scoring with 28 points.

Barnes had 22 points and said that the Americans would give it their all in their tournament closer when they will face the loser of the Czech Republic versus Poland.

“On Saturday, we have that opportunity to go out once again, play a game, represent our country,” he said.

“For some of us — potentially all of us — it could be our last time we wear a USA jersey, or the beginning of many.”

In Friday’s semifinals, Spain plays Australia while France takes on Argentina.