EuroBasket 1951

The 1951 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1951, was the seventh FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA. Eighteen national teams affiliated with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) entered the competition, a record number and more than twice the number that had competed two years earlier. The competition was hosted by France, who had taken second place at EuroBasket 1949, behind 1949 hosts Egypt. The Vélodrome d'hiver, Paris was the location of the event.[1]

EuroBasket 1951
Tournament details
Host countryFrance
CityParis
Dates3–12 May
Teams18
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Soviet Union (2nd title)
Runners-up Czechoslovakia
Third place France
Fourth place Bulgaria
Tournament statistics
Games played73
MVPCzechoslovakia Ivan Mrázek
Top scorerCzechoslovakia Ivan Mrázek
(17.1 points per game)

73 matches were held over the course of the tournament, including the three walkovers caused by Romania withdrawing after the competition schedule had been set.

Results

First round

In the preliminary round, the 18 teams were split up into four groups. Two of the groups had five teams each, with the others having four each. Romania withdrew, leaving 2 groups of 5, 1 group of 4, and 1 group of 3. The top two teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinal round. The seven teams that had placed third and fourth moved into the classification rounds, leaving one more spot in that round two be contested in a head-to-head match between the two fifth-place teams.

Group A
Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1. Italy 731233132+101
2. France 731232146+86
3. Netherlands 731172177−5
4.  Switzerland 513180214−34
5. Luxembourg 404114262−148
France 49–37 Italy
Netherlands 50–48 France
France 72–26 Luxembourg
France 63–33 Switzerland
Italy 53–28 Netherlands
Luxembourg 20–76 Italy
Italy 67–35 Switzerland
Luxembourg 32–46 Netherlands
Switzerland 44–48 Netherlands
Luxembourg 36–68 Switzerland

Group B
Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1. Soviet Union 840312117+195
2. Turkey 731227154+73
3. Finland 622175180−5
4. Austria 513112200−88
5. Denmark 40494269−175
Soviet Union 58–34 Turkey
Denmark 13–109 Soviet Union
Soviet Union 71–34 Austria
Finland 36–74 Soviet Union
Turkey 83–36 Denmark
Austria 18–50 Turkey
Turkey 60–42 Finland
Denmark 26–33 Austria
Finland 44–19 Denmark
Austria 27–53 Finland

Group C
Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1. Bulgaria 63014770+77
2. Greece 521121103+18
3. Portugal 41269158−89
4. Romania (withdrew) 00306−6
Greece 38–68 Bulgaria
Portugal 35–81 Greece
Greece 2–0 (w/o) Romania
Bulgaria 77–32 Portugal
Bulgaria 2–0 (w/o) Romania
Portugal 2–0 (w/o) Romania

Group D
Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1. Belgium 63020881+127
2. Czechoslovakia 52120399+104
3. West Germany 412117157−40
4. Scotland 30368259−191
Czechoslovakia 38–51 Belgium
Scotland 18 – 103 Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia 62–30 West Germany
Belgium 87–25 Scotland
West Germany 18–70 Belgium
Scotland 25–69 West Germany

Elimination game

The two fifth-placed teams from the preliminary groups, Denmark and Luxembourg, played a single elimination game for the honor of being the eighth team in the consolation round. The game was perhaps the closest in Eurobasket history; it was tied at 45–45 with Peter Tatalls at the free throw line with 5 seconds left. Tatalls made the shot, putting Denmark ahead 46–45. Luxembourg moved the ball up to about half-court before attempting a shot just before time expired. The shot bounced off the rim, eliminating Luxembourg from the tournament and giving Denmark their first win of the tournament as they moved into the classification round to play for 9th–16th places.

Denmark 46–45 Luxembourg

Classification round 1

The first classification round was played in two round-robin groups. Teams advanced into the second classification round depending on their results in the first round—first and second place teams played in the 9–12 segment of classification round 2 while third and fourth place teams played for 13th to 16th places.

Group 1
Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1. Austria 630118102+16
2. West Germany 412132129+3
3.  Switzerland 412134136−2
4. Portugal 412122139−17
West Germany 47–39 Portugal
Austria 39–37 West Germany
Switzerland 51–48 West Germany
Portugal 31–43 Austria
Switzerland 49–52 Portugal
Switzerland 34–36 Austria

Group 2
Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1. Finland 630201119+82
2. Netherlands 521162111+51
3. Denmark 41299158−59
4. Scotland 303101175−74
Finland 66–52 Netherlands
Scotland 32–73 Finland
Denmark 35–62 Finland
Netherlands 55–28 Scotland
Denmark 17–55 Netherlands
Denmark 47–41 Scotland

13th-16th place classification playoffs
 
13th-16th place semifinals13th place game
 
      
 
 
 
 
 Denmark 46
 
 
 
 Portugal 39
 
 Denmark 22
 
 
 
  Switzerland 54
 
  Switzerland 68
 
 
 Scotland 19
 
Third place
 
 
 
 
 
 Portugal 49
 
 
 Scotland 42

9th-12th place classification playoffs
 
9th-12th place semifinals9th place game
 
      
 
 
 
 
 Finland 67
 
 
 
 West Germany 56
 
 Finland 57
 
 
 
 Netherlands 52
 
 Austria 28
 
 
 Netherlands 44
 
Third place
 
 
 
 
 
 West Germany 49
 
 
 Austria 51

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinal round was played in two round-robin groups. Teams advanced into the final round depending on their results in the first round—the top two teams advanced to the medals round, while third and fourth ranked teams played for 5th to 8th places.

Group A
Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1. France 521149140+9
2. Bulgaria 521152142+10
3. Turkey 521125124+1
4. Belgium 303122142−20
Belgium 41–51 Bulgaria
Turkey 38–32 Belgium
France 53–49 Belgium
Bulgaria 52–45 Turkey
France 56–49 Bulgaria
France 40–42 Turkey

Group B
Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1. Soviet Union 630175121+54
2. Czechoslovakia 521157127+30
3. Italy 412140177−37
4. Greece 303133180−47
Soviet Union 60–42 Italy
Czechoslovakia 37–53 Soviet Union
Greece 42–62 Soviet Union
Italy 34–66 Czechoslovakia
Greece 51–64 Italy
Greece 40–54 Czechoslovakia

5th-8th place classification playoffs
5th-8th place semifinals 5th place game
      
B3  Italy 48
A4  Belgium 36
B3  Italy 43
A3  Turkey 38
A3  Turkey 42
B4  Greece 36 7th place game
A4  Belgium 39
B4  Greece 28

Classification 5–8
Italy 48–36 Belgium
Turkey 42–36 Greece
Classification 7/8
Belgium 39–28 Greece
Classification 5/6
Italy 43–38 Turkey

Medal Round: Bracket
Semifinals EuroBasket Final
      
A1  France 50
B2  Czechoslovakia 59
B2  Czechoslovakia 44
B1  Soviet Union 45
B1  Soviet Union 72
A2  Bulgaria 54 Bronze Medal Game
A1  France 55
A2  Bulgaria 52

Semifinals
France 50–59 Czechoslovakia
Soviet Union 72–54 Bulgaria
Bronze-medal match
France 55–52 Bulgaria
Championship
Czechoslovakia 44–45 Soviet Union
 1951 FIBA EuroBasket champions 

Soviet Union
2nd title

Final standings
  1.  Soviet Union
  2.  Czechoslovakia
  3.  France
  4.  Bulgaria
  5.  Italy
  6.  Turkey
  7.  Belgium
  8.  Greece
  9.  Finland
  10.  Netherlands
  11.  Austria
  12.  West Germany
  13.   Switzerland
  14.  Denmark
  15.  Portugal
  16.  Scotland
  17.  Luxembourg
  18.  Romania

Team rosters

1. Soviet Union: Otar Korkia, Stepas Butautas, Joann Lõssov, Anatoly Konev, Ilmar Kullam, Heino Kruus, Alexander Moiseev, Justinas Lagunavičius, Anatoly Belov, Vasili Kolpakov, Yuri Larionov, Evgeni Nikitin, Viktor Vlasov, Oleg Mamontov (Coach: Stepan Spandaryan)

2. Czechoslovakia: Ivan Mrázek, Jiri Baumruk, Zdeněk Bobrovský, Miroslav Skerik, Jaroslav Šíp, Jan Kozák, Miroslav Baumruk, Karel Belohradsky, Miroslav Dostal, Jindrich Kinsky, Zoltan Krenicky, Jiri Matousek, Milos Nebuchla, Arnost Novak, Karel Sobota, Zdenek Rylich, Stanislav Vykydal (Coach: Josef Andrle)

3. France: André Buffiere, René Chocat, Jacques Dessemme, Louis Devoti, Jacques Freimuller, Robert Guillin, Robert Monclar, Marc Peironne, Marc Quiblier, Jean-Pierre Salignon, Pierre Thiolon, André Vacheresse, Jean Perniceni, Justy Specker (Coach: Robert Busnel)

4. Bulgaria: Georgi Georgiev, Stefan Bankov, Nejcho Nejchev, Vladimir Slavov, Ilija Asenov, Petar Shishkov, Kiril Semov, Konstantin Totev, Anton Kuzov, Gencho Rashkov, Ivan Vladimirov, Dimitar Popov, Metodi Tomovski (Coach: Veselin Temkov)

References
  1. EuroBasket History – The 50s
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