Anthony leads way as US routs Aussies
SAITAMA, Japan -- Andrew Bogut was no problem for the United States. Next up: Dirk Nowitzki.
Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points, and the Americans smothered Australia in the second quarter and ran away to a 113-73 victory today in the second round of the world basketball championships.
Joe Johnson added 18 points, and Dwyane Wade had 15 for the Americans, who allowed only two baskets and 6 points in the second period en route to a 30-point halftime lead. The US shot 54 percent from the field and led by as many as 42 points.
The US (6-0) advanced to a quarterfinal matchup Wednesday night against Germany, which beat Nigeria, 78-77, in the first game of the day behind 23 points from Nowitzki, the All-Star forward from the Dallas Mavericks. The Germans were the bronze medalists in the 2002 world championships.
The Americans were sixth that year, their worst performance ever in a major international tournament. But they continue to look like one of the favorites in Japan after surpassing the 100-point mark for the fifth time in six games.
And this time, the defense was there, too. The Americans weren't always sharp on that end during pool play when they allowed 85.6 points per game.
Bogut, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA draft who just completed his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, led Australia with 20 points. But after a strong start, he was scoreless for a stretch of more than 15 minutes, when the Americans outscored the Australians, 45-14. The Australians (2-4) came in seeking to control the tempo, and they did a good job of it for most of the first half. Their problem was in making shots.
Bogut, the former national college player of the year at Utah, scored 9 points in the first five minutes, hitting a 3-pointer to give the Australians a 15-14 lead with 5:07 left in the first quarter.
Australia was within 2 points after Brad Newley's dunk with 1:41 remaining in the first quarter. But by the time C.J. Bruton made the next one, the Australians had gone nearly 9 minutes without a field goal as the Americans broke the game open.
Leading, 27-23, after one, the US outscored Australia, 18-1, during the first 7 minutes of the second quarter to take a 45-24 lead after Anthony made a pair of free throws with 3:01 left in the half. Australia missed 20 of its first 27 shots before Bruton's jumper with 2:50 to go. Johnson scored the last 7 points of the half, and the Americans took a 59-29 lead into the break. 