SAPPORO, Japan, Aug 19 - Carmelo Anthony led the way with 21 points as the United States cruised past Puerto Rico 111-100 in their world basketball championship opener on Saturday.

The tournament favourites recovered from a slow start in Sapporo with co-captains Anthony and LeBron James orchestrating a dominant second-half showing in their opening Group D game.

The U.S. struggled to impose themselves on their sharp-shooting opponents in the first half despite forcing nine turnovers and scoring 13 fast-break points.

But a 57-51 halftime lead quickly grew to double figures as James sparked a 12-2 run with some explosive finishing that fired up the American bench. James finished with 15 points.

Anthony made it a 20-point advantage with another breakaway dunk with less than nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and the U.S. played out the game with their starters on the bench.

The U.S. finished an embarrassing sixth at the last world championship in Indianapolis in 2002 and took bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics after an opening game loss to Puerto Rico.