US cruise past Puerto Rico 111-100
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-08-19 15:08
SAPPORO, Japan, Aug 19 - Carmelo Anthony led the way with 21 points as the
United States cruised past Puerto Rico 111-100 in their world basketball
championship opener on Saturday.
The tournament favourites recovered from a slow start in Sapporo with
co-captains Anthony and LeBron James orchestrating a dominant second-half
showing in their opening Group D game.
The U.S. struggled to impose themselves on their sharp-shooting opponents in
the first half despite forcing nine turnovers and scoring 13 fast-break points.
But a 57-51 halftime lead quickly grew to double figures as James sparked a
12-2 run with some explosive finishing that fired up the American bench. James
finished with 15 points.
Anthony made it a 20-point advantage with another breakaway dunk with less
than nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and the U.S. played out the game
with their starters on the bench.
The U.S. finished an embarrassing sixth at the last world championship in
Indianapolis in 2002 and took bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics after an
opening game loss to Puerto Rico.
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