5x5 Men's Olympic History

USA BASKETBALL HISTORY

USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM 1976 RESULTS

MONTREAL, CANADA • JULY 18-27, 1976

Seeking to avenge the controversial loss to the Soviets in the 1972 Olympic gold medal game, the USA, coached by Dean Smith, never had the chance to gain revenge, but nevertheless, recorded a perfect 7-0 slate and returned the gold back home. Opening against Italy, behind Adrian Dantley’s 20 points and 19 more from Mitch Kupchak, the U.S. rolled to a 106-86 victory. The USA’s quest for the gold was nearly thwarted by a Puerto Rican team led by Butch Lee. Lee scored 35 points on 15-for-18 shooting from the field to help lead a gutsy Puerto Rican team in its near upset of the U.S. squad. Tied 51-51 at half, the game remained a tight affair until the end. With the U.S. ahead 93-92 and eight seconds remaining, Puerto Rico’s dream of the monumental upset ended when Lee was called for a charge. Phil Ford hit a pair of free throws and the U.S. held on for a 95-94 victory. Ford finished with 20 points and Kupchak added 19. Facing Yugoslavia, the USA rallied in the second half to claim a 112-93 win. The U.S. trailed 55-51 at half after falling into foul trouble, but Smith’s troops came out and scored the first eight points of the second half and never again trailed after taking a 64-63 lead with 15 minutes to play. Dantley led the American comeback with 27 points and Scott May added 24. After earning a 2-0 forfeit victory over Egypt who with- drew, the Americans knocked off Czechoslovakia 81-76. The U.S. sprinted off to a 22-8 lead over Canada behind the play of May and Quinn Buckner and never looked back in the 95-77 victory. May finished with 22 points, while Tom LaGarde scored 16, Dantley and Buckner each tallied 12. With Yugoslavia’s 89-84 semifinal upset of the Soviet Union, the anticipated USA-USSR game was not realized. Facing the Yugoslavian men for the second time, Dantley scored 18 of his game high 30 points in the first 20 minutes to help the U.S. open up a 50-38 halftime advantage. Yugoslavia came no closer than 10 points in the second half as the USA reclaimed the Olympic gold with a 95-74 decision. May and Kupchak each accounted for 14 points in the win.

1976 USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER

1976 USA RESULTS (7-0)

NAME

POS HGT WGT AGE SCHOOL

HOMETOWN

Italy

W, 106-86 W, 95-94 W, 112-93

Puerto Rico Yugoslavia

Mike (Tate) Armstrong

G G

6-3 6-3 6-7 6-5 6-5 6-2 6-6 6-7

170 203 225 209 190 170 225 194 229 214 218 209

20 21 20 21 21 20 21 19 22 21 22 22

Duke

Houston, TX Phoenix, IL

Quinn Buckner

Indiana

Kenny Carr

F

North Carolina State

Washington , DC Washington, DC Charlotte, NC Rocky Mountain, NC

Egypt

W, 2-0 (forfeit)

Adrian Dantley Walter Davis Ernie Grunfeld Phil Hubbard Mitch Kupchak Tom LaGarde Phil Ford

G

Notre Dame North Carolina North Carolina

Czechoslovakia

W, 81-76 W, 95-77 W, 95-74

F

Canada

G

F F

Tennessee Michigan

Forest Hills, NY Canton, OH Brentwood, NY Sandusky, OH New York, NY Detroit, MI

Yugoslavia

C C F G

6-10 6-10

North Carolina North Carolina

FINAL STANDINGS

Scott May

6-7 6-6

Indiana

Steven Sheppard

Maryland

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

United States (7-0) Yugoslavia (5-2) Soviet Union (5-2)

HEAD COACH: Dean Smith, University of North Carolina ASSISTANT COACH: Bill Guthridge, University of North Carolina ASSISTANT COACH: John Thompson, Georgetown University MANAGER: Joseph Vancisin, National Association of Basketball Coaches ATHLETIC TRAINER: Troy Young, Arizona State University

Canada (4-3)

Italy (5-2)

Czechoslovakia (3-4)

Cuba (4-3)

1976 USA MEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS

Australia (2-5)

9.

Puerto Rico (3-4)

NAME

G

FGM-A

PCT

FTM-A

PCT

REB

PF

PTS

AST

10. Mexico (1-5) 11. Japan (0-6) 12. Egypt (0-5)

Dantley

6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

43- 80 42- 80 30- 49 29- 54 22- 44 20- 36 13- 18 12- 23 10- 21 9- 18

.538 .525 .612 .537 .500 .556 .722 .522 .476 .500 .714 .429 .545 .505

30- 36 16- 18 15- 20 10- 12

.833 .889 .750 .833 .500 .875 .--- .750 .750 .750 .831 .795 1.000 1.000

34/ 5.7 37/ 6.2 34/ 5.7 13/ 2.2 18/ 3.0 19/ 3.2 11/ 1.8 23/ 3.8 10/ 1.7 4/ 0.7 2/ 0.3 6/ 1.0

12 17 16 17 19 13 18 18 14

116/ 19.3 100/ 16.7 75/ 12.5 68/ 11.3

10 12 54 18 6

May

Kupchak

Ford

Buckner

0- 0 1- 2 4- 4 6- 6 3- 4 6- 8 3- 4

44/ 7.3 41/ 6.8 40/ 6.7 28/ 4.7 26/ 4.3 21/ 3.5 16/ 2.7 9/ 1.5

Carr

6 1 3

LaGarde Hubbard

14- 16

Davis

12 15

Grunfeld Armstrong Sheppard

9 0 2

5- 7 3- 7

2 1

USA OPP.

238-437 215-426

108-130 70- 88

211/35.2 155 138/23.0 166

584/ 97.3

140

500/ 83.3 109

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