GUANGZHOU, China — After a pair of big blowouts, the United States finally got some competition.
The Americans also got a reality check: Facing the world's best basketball teams without Carmelo Anthony is far from an easy task.
Anthony scored 16 first-half points before being forced out with a knee injury, and the United States hung on for a 90-86 victory over Brazil on Tuesday night.
The Denver Nuggets forward set the early scoring pace but slipped while chasing a ball to the sideline with 2:21 left in the second quarter. He crashed into coach Mike Krzyzewski and left the game with a hyperextended right knee.
"The injury doesn't look like it's serious," Krzyzewski said.
Kirk Hinrich added 14 points for the Americans, who led 52-38 at halftime. Brazil staged a big comeback while Anthony sat out the rest of the game.
The hard-fought win followed two easy U.S. victories — a 46-point win over China and 45-point drubbing of Puerto Rico — and offered a preview of the tougher competition the Americans will likely face at the world championship, which begins in Japan on Aug. 19.
"I think this is a great game for us and we needed this," said Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson, who had 12 points and closed out the warmup win from the free throw line. "We needed to be tested, and tonight we showed a lot of pride."