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
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker