Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics

4th Olympic Basketball Tournament
Melbourne 1956
Tournament details
Olympics 1956 Summer Olympics
Host nation Australia
City Melbourne
Duration November 22 – December 1
Men's tournament
Teams 15
Medals
1 Gold medalists  United States
2 Silver medalists Soviet Union
3 Bronze medalists  Uruguay
Tournaments
← Helsinki 1952  Rome 1960 →

Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. Fifteen nations, an unusually low number for the basketball tournament, competed in the event, with 174 participants. A total number of 56 games of basketball were played.

The teams were divided into four pools, with four teams in three of the pools and only three in the fourth. Every team played against each other team in its pool once. The top two teams from each pool advanced to the quarterfinals, where again they were split into pools of four. Teams again played every other team in their pool, with the top two in each advancing to the semifinal and the bottom two entering a pool for 5th through 8th places. Eliminated teams also played in consolation matches with the same structure as the quarterfinals and finals, but for 9th through 15th places. The games were held at the Royal Exhibition Building.

Medalists

Gold: Silver: Bronze:
 United States (USA)
Carl Cain
Bill Hougland
K.C. Jones
Bill Russell
James Walsh
William Evans
Burdette Haldorsson
Ronald Tomsic
Richard Boushka
Gilbert Ford
Robert Jeangerard
Charles Darling		  Soviet Union (URS)
Valdis Muižnieks
Maigonis Valdmanis
Vladimir Torban
Stasys Stonkus
Kazys Petkevičius
Arkadi Bochkarev
Jānis Krūmiņš
Mikhail Semyonov
Algirdas Lauritenas
Yuri Ozerov
Viktor Zubkov
Mikhail Studenetsky		  Uruguay (URU)
Carlos Blixen
Ramiro Cortes
Héctor Costa
Nelson Chelle
Nelson Demarco
Héctor García Otero
Carlos Gonzáles
Sergio Matto
Oscar Moglia
Raúl Mera
Ariel Olascoaga
Milton Scaron

Final ranking

  1. United States
  2. Soviet Union
  3. Uruguay
  4. France
  5. Bulgaria
  6. Brazil
  7. Philippines
  8. Chile
  9. Canada
  10. Japan
  11. Republic of China
  12. Australia
  13. Singapore
  14. South Korea
  15. Thailand

Results

Preliminary round

Group A

TEAM PTS P W L PF PA
 United States 6330320122
 Philippines 5321184226
 Japan 4312171224
 Thailand 3303123226
Philippines Philippines 94,  Thailand 55
Scoring by half: 34–24, 60–31
United States United States 98,  Japan 40
Scoring by half: 33–20, 65–20
United States United States 101,  Thailand 29
Scoring by half: 54–12, 47–17
Japan Japan 61,  Philippines 77
Scoring by half: 29–37, 32–40
Thailand Thailand 50,  Japan 70
Scoring by half: 20–35, 30–35
United States United States 121,  Philippines 53
Scoring by half: 66–23, 55–30

Group B

TEAM PTS P W L PF PA
 France 6330236183
 Soviet Union 5321255177
 Canada 4312206234
 Singapore 3303154257
Soviet Union Soviet Union 97,  Canada 59
Scoring by half: 46–20, 51–39
Singapore Singapore 54,  France 81
Scoring by half: 22–44, 32–37
Soviet Union Soviet Union 67,  France 76
Scoring by half: 18–24, 49–52
Canada Canada 85,  Singapore 58
Scoring by half: 51–30, 34–28
Soviet Union Soviet Union 91,  Singapore 42
Scoring by half: 40–21, 51–21
France France 79,  Canada 62
Scoring by half: 43–35, 36–27

Group C

TEAM PTS P W L PF PA
 Uruguay 6330238187
 Bulgaria 5321242199
 Formosa 4312216249
 South Korea 3303194255
Korea South Korea 76,  Formosa 83
Scoring by half: 28–42, 48–41
Uruguay Uruguay 70,  Bulgaria 65
Scoring by half: 38–35, 32–30
Uruguay Uruguay 85,  Formosa 62
Scoring by half: 39–36, 46–26
Bulgaria Bulgaria 89,  South Korea 58
Scoring by half: 47–33, 42–25
Formosa Taiwan 71,  Bulgaria 88
Scoring by half: 35–47, 36–41
Uruguay Uruguay 83,  South Korea 60
Scoring by half: 35–25, 48–35

Group D

TEAM PTS P W L PF PA
 Brazil 4220167125
 Chile 3211137134
 Australia 2202122167
Chile Chile 59,  Brazil 78
Scoring by half: 34–39, 25–39
Brazil Brazil 89,  Australia 66
Scoring by half: 50–35, 39–31
Chile Chile 78,  Australia 56
Scoring by half: 37–27, 41–29

Classification 9–15

Group 1 (9–15)

TEAM PTS P W L PF PA
 Formosa 6330218189
 Australia 5321258208
 Singapore 4312200215
 Thailand 3303150214
Singapore Singapore 64,  Formosa 67
Scoring by half: 23–26, 41–41
Australia Australia 87,  Thailand 48
Scoring by half: 48–23, 39–25
Thailand Thailand 50,  Singapore 62
Scoring by half: 26–29, 24–33
Australia Australia 73,  Formosa 86
Scoring by half: 40–39, 33–47
Formosa Taiwan 65,  Thailand 52
Scoring by half: 35–31, 30–21
Australia Australia 98,  Singapore 74
Scoring by half: 48–36, 50–38

Group 2 (9–15)

TEAM PTS P W L PF PA
 Canada 4220147123
 Japan 3211143140
 South Korea 0202130157
Korea South Korea 63,  Canada 74 ()
Scoring by half: 31–32, 31–30 OT: 1–12
Japan Japan 83,  South Korea 67
Scoring by half: 36–23, 47–44
Canada Canada 73,  Japan 60
Scoring by half: 40–26, 33–34

Classification 13–15

Thailand's loss gave the nation 15th place.

Thailand Thailand 47,  South Korea 61
Scoring by half: 28–33, 19–28
Classification 13–14
Singapore Singapore 92,  South Korea 79
Scoring by half: 45–39, 47–40

Classification 9–12

Formosa Taiwan 61,  Japan 82
Scoring by half: 32–38, 29–44
Australia Australia 38,  Canada 83
Scoring by half: 18–30, 20–53
Classification 11/12
Formosa Taiwan 87,  Australia 70
Scoring by half: 46–32, 41–38
Classification 9/10
Japan Japan 60,  Canada 75
Scoring by half: 34–39, 26–36

Quarterfinals

Quarterfinal Group A

The top two teams from each group advanced to the Semifinal Round.

TEAM PTS P W L PF PA
 France 5321195187
 Uruguay 5321221209
 Chile 4312221220
 Philippines 4312204225
France France 71,  Chile 60
Scoring by half: 37–23, 34–37
Uruguay Uruguay 79,  Philippines 70 ()
Scoring by half: 42–39, 26–29 OT: 11–2
Uruguay Uruguay 80,  Chile 73
Scoring by half: 40–25, 40–48
 Philippines 65, France France 58 ()
Scoring by half: 30–26, 25–29 OT: 10–3
Chile Chile 88,  Philippines 69
Scoring by half: 42–32, 46–37
Uruguay Uruguay 62,  France 66
Scoring by half: 31–38, 31–28

Quarterfinal Group B

TEAM PTS P W L PF PA
 United States 6330283150
 Soviet Union 5321208209
 Bulgaria 4312182224
 Brazil 3303192282
Bulgaria Bulgaria 44,  United States 85
Scoring by half: 19–48, 25–37
Brazil Brazil 68,  Soviet Union 87
Scoring by half: 28–37, 40–50
Bulgaria Bulgaria 56,  Soviet Union 66
Scoring by half: 32–37, 24–29
United States United States 113,  Brazil 51
Scoring by half: 50–22, 63–29
Soviet Union Soviet Union 55,  United States 85
Scoring by half: 32–39, 23–46
Bulgaria Bulgaria 82,  Brazil 73
Scoring by half: 38–36, 44–37

Classification 5–8

Chile Chile 64,  Brazil 89
Scoring by half: 33–55, 31–34
Philippines Philippines 70,  Bulgaria 80
Scoring by half: 43–50, 27–30
Classification 7/8
Chile Chile 68,  Philippines 75
Scoring by half: 38–33, 30–42
Classification 5/6
Brazil Brazil 52,  Bulgaria 64
Scoring by half: 26–27, 26–37

Semifinals

Semifinals Gold medal game
      
A1  France 49
B2  Soviet Union 56
 Soviet Union 55
 United States 89
A2  Uruguay 38
B1  United States 101

Bronze medal game

France France 62,  Uruguay 71
Scoring by half: 29–37, 33–34

References