While you were sleeping

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BEIJING — Kobe Bryant had his best game, scoring 25 points, and the U.S. men’s basketball team, as expected, easily advanced to the semifinals with a 116-85 victory over Australia.

It was after a U.S. loss to Manu Ginobili and Argentina in the semifinals at Athens four years ago that it became apparent that the United States was not guaranteed a gold medal.

Lesson learned, the United States has been dominant here.

LeBron James had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Carmelo Anthony scored 16. If there is a weakness in this U.S. team, it’s in the frontcourt. But the United States out-rebounded Australia, 57-28.

Elsewhere:

(All times PDT)

11:38 p.m. (Tuesday) BMX cycling made its debut in the Olympics, with all four U.S. riders -- Mike Day of Santa Clarita, Donny Robinson of Napa, Calif., Kyle Bennett of Conroe, Texas, and Jill Kinter of Seattle -- advancing to Thursday’s semifinals.

12:51 a.m. Rami Zur of Costa Mesa was eliminated from the men’s 1,000-meter single kayaking with a seventh-place finish in the semifinals. He remains in contention in the 1,500 meters.

1:28 a.m. Christina Jones of Fremont and Andrea Nott of San Jose were fifth in duet synchronized swimming. The Russians won with synchronized first names -- Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova.

1:40 a.m. Spain became the first team to advance to the men’s basketball semifinals. With 20 points and 10 rebounds from the Lakers’ Pau Gasol, the Spanish beat Croatia, 72-59.

3:25 a.m. Yao Ming couldn’t carry China into the semifinals. In the second quarterfinal game, Lithuania beat the Chinese, 94-68. Yao had 19 points and seven rebounds. China’s Sun Yue, who has signed with the Lakers, scored in doubles figures in only one of the games.

5:05 a.m. The U.S. women’s softball team beat Japan, 4-1, in extra innings earlier in the day, then found out it would have to play the same team again in the final after the Japanese beat Australia, 4-3, in 12 innings. Australia won the bronze medal as a consolation. Crystl Bustos of Canyon Country hit a three-run home run in the ninth for the United States against Japan.

7 a.m. Wake up, smell the (Yao?) Ming Bei Wulong tea!

Now playing: U.S. vs. Japan in baseball.

Coming up later this morning: Track and field finals in the men’s 200 meters and women’s 400 intermediate hurdles.

-- Randy Harvey