One down, two to go.

That's the mantra for Carmelo Anthony and the United States men's team after it beat Australia on Wednesday evening.

Anthony scored 17 points in the win to complement LeBron James' triple double and Kobe Bryant's 20-point second half.

The 119-86 victory leaves the United States two wins shy of a gold medal.

Compared to Monday's game, in which Anthony was hit in the groin by an Argentine guard, the quarterfinal win over Australia was drama-free.

Anthony scored his 17 points in 20 minutes. And while he missed 2 of 7 from beyond the arc, Anthony was 4-for-5 from inside the 20 feet.

Both he and Tyson Chandler got into early foul trouble.

Chandler picked up two fouls in the opening five minutes and finished with six points and two rebounds in nine minutes.

While James' all-around effort (11 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists) lifted the United States, Bryant more than did his part. The Lakers guard hit six straight threes in the second half to finish with 20 points after going scoreless in the first two quarters.

The United States takes on Argentina in one semifinal Friday afternoon. Spain and Russia will face off in the other semi.

PRIGIONI RETURNS: After missing the past three games due to kidney stones, Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni returned to the court for Argentina in its semifinal win over Brazil.

Prigioni struggled from the floor, missing six of eight shots, including all five of his 3-point attempts.

His poor shooting night may be alarming to some Knicks fans, but it's worth noting that Prigioni is a pass-first point guard who thrives in the pick-and-roll game, not knocking down shots from the perimeter.

It's also worth noting that he's the Knicks' third-string point guard.

You can follow follow Ian Begley on Twitter.