GLASS HALF FULL: Kobe Bryant reacts after making a 3-pointer in the second half of the United States’ 119-86 win over Australia in the men’s basketball quarterfinals. Bryant scored all 20 of his points in the second half. (Getty Images)
LONDON — Kobe Bryant started this silly notion the Redeem Team II could beat the original Dream Team. For most of these Olympics, Bryant looked as if he couldn’t have made the Dream Team as its 12th man.
On the 20-year anniversary of the original Dream Team winning gold, the sleeping giant finally awoke — with a halftime prodding from Carmelo Anthony.
Scoreless at halftime and with Australia breathing down the Americans’ necks, Bryant got the club out of its morass. He drained three straight 3-pointers in a 66-second span and scored all 20 of his points in the second half as Team USA shook free and beat Australia, 119-86 at North Greenwich Arena Wednesday night.
Redeem II is now two victories away from a second straight gold medal, but early in the third quarter, the team hardly looked as dominant as it should have.
“I was talking to him at halftime, early in the third quarter, to wake up, wake up, ’’ Anthony said. “I guess I pushed the right button.’’
The Americans face Argentina in tomorrow’s semifinals in a rematch of last weekend’s game. Argentina, with the Knicks’ new reserve point guard, Pablo Prigioni, back in the lineup, beat Brazil 82-77 in the quarterfinals. Prigioni missed the last meeting with the Americans.
“We’re ready for that matchup,’’ Anthony said.
In the day’s other quarterfinals, Spain beat France, 66-59, and will play Russia in tomorrow’s other semifinal. Russia defeated Lithuania yesterday, 83-74.
Bryant has had an invisible Olympics and in last night’s first half he hit his nadir. Afterward, Bryant confirmed Anthony gave him a pep talk. Bryant finished with six 3-pointers in the second half. LeBron James collected a triple double (11 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists), while Anthony had 17 points and Deron Williams 18.
“I was searching for something to get me going, something to activate the Black Mamba,’’ Bryant said. “[Anthony] was saying, ‘Let me see you. I want to see what I see during the season.’ At that point, I was already revved up.’’
With just one NBA player on their roster — reserve Patty Mills of the Blazers — the Aussies had no business being in the contest in the second half but used an 11-0 run to start the third quarter to climb within three points of the Americans, 56-53. Mills finished with 26 points and ignited the Aussies’ early second-half run with two straight 3-pointers.
“We had a horrible start to the third quarter,’’ U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “But I’m proud of our guys because then we played great. We kind of exploded there and Kobe really broke out of his scoring slump. ’’
Kevin Durant hit a huge 3 to end Australia’s 11-0 run and then came Bryant, who delivered as the Americans retook a double-digit edge. Bryant again exploded in the fourth quarter with three straight buckets.
“Anybody on this team can have that but Kobe is one of the great scorers we’ve ever seen,’’ James said.
The Americans, who had been lax on defense in the first half of their previous games vs. Lithuania and Argentina, bottled up Australia, holding it to 39 percent shooting in a sleepy first half in which the Aussies missed some open looks.
The score was tied at 8 before the Americans slowly bumped out ahead 26-16 after one quarter. Starting center Tyson Chandler had a good start with a dunk off an ally-oop pass from James and an offensive putback. But he also committed two fouls and Anthony replaced him with 5:45 left in the first quarter.
NBA commissioner David Stern made his first appearance at the London Games to take in the game. Stern hopes this will be the final time he’ll have to watch his phalanx of NBA All-Stars compete under the flag of the five rings.
Stern’s master plan is to make the Olympic basketball tournament a 23-and-under event, which will eliminate super-star laden American rosters. Stern prefers to save the Dream-Team format for the World Championships for financial reasons, according to sources.
Bryant, who looked out of it, was scoreless in the opening half. Williams ran the show with aplomb. The Americans’ backup point guard and Brooklyn’s franchise player came off the bench for 13 points and an assist as Team USA opened a double-digit lead, 56-42, at the intermission.
marc.berman@nypost.com