Anthony on top podium of points

RIO DE JANEIRO — Carmelo Anthony took aim and shot to the top of U.S. basketball history.

Anthony scored 31 points — and the Americans needed every one of them — as the overwhelming gold-medal favorites in the Rio Games outlasted Australia 98-88 on Wednesday night.

The first American male basketball player to appear in four Olympics, Anthony also passed LeBron James as the most prolific scorer to ever wear a USA jersey. Anthony opened the game by making three 3-pointers and then moved past James, his close friend, with another 3 in the first quarter.

“Of course I was conscious of it,” Anthony said of the scoring mark. “My teammates was making sure I was aware of the situation, but tonight was one of those nights where I wanted to let the game come to me and take the shots that was given to me, take the open shots and kind of play basketball.

“And at the end of the day I was in my zone, I was playing basketball.”

Anthony knocked down nine 3-pointers — one shy of his U.S. record — and finished 11 of 21 from the field. He added eight rebounds, two steals and may have saved the Americans from a loss by scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter.

“Carmelo was magnificent,” said U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski.