(Sports Network) - The Redeem Team is looking more every day like the original Dream Team, and now the Americans are two victories away from winning the gold medal. Kobe Bryant scored 25 points to lead the fast-paced United States men's basketball team to a 116-85 rout of Australia in the Olympic quarterfinals Wednesday night.

It was just over two weeks ago when the Aussies gave the U.S. trouble in an exhibition game, losing by only an 87-76 count. And that was when Australia was without standout center Andrew Bogut.

Wednesday's game was close...for most of the first half and it was physical at times, but led again by the defensive quickness, the U.S. pulled away over the final 20 minutes.

LeBron James added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Carmelo Anthony tallied 15 points in the win. The U.S. busted the game open with 19 unanswered points, bridging the second and third quarters.

Bogut played only 11 minutes Wednesday and had four points. Patrick Mills led Australia with 20 points, and Glen Saville had 13. Australia was outrebounded, 57-28.

Ahead for the U.S. is a Friday semifinal game against either defending gold medalists Argentina or Greece. The Greeks gained confidence from the 2004 Olympics, losing to the United States by just a 77-71 score, the year the Americans were relegated to a bronze medal. They took it to the Americans by shocking them 101-95 in the semifinals of the 2006 FIBA World Championships. Earlier at these Games, the Americans blasted Greece, 92-69, in the preliminary round.

Just as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird breezed through Barcelona in 1992 to lead the Dream Team to the gold medal, this squad of superstars has crushed every opponent that has come its way. The team won all five of its preliminary games by an average of more than 32 points.

In other action Wednesday, Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 23 points and dished out six assists to power Lithuania to a 94-68 rout of China. Ramunas Siskauskas and Linas Kleiza each tallied 15 points for Lithuania, which will face Spain in the semifinals on Friday. Spain beat Croatia, 72-59, in the first quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Yao Ming had 19 points to pace China. Yi Jianlian had 11 points and nine rebounds, but China managed to hit just 20-of-55 shots from the floor and went 4-of-21 from three-point range.

Conversely, Jasikevicius missed just one of his eight shots and went 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Yao's basket had China within 25-24 with 6:42 left in the second quarter, but Lithuania scored the next seven points and opened a 41-30 advantage at the half. China couldn't get closer than seven in the third, and by the end of the quarter the margin was widened to 70-53.

Pau Gasol recorded a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead Spain to its win. Felipe Reyes added 13 points and Jose Calderon chipped in 10 to help the Spaniards advance.

Marko Banic led Croatia with 15 points and Zoran Planinic added 12 in the losing effort.



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