# EuroBasket 1951

The 1951 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1951, was the seventh FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Eighteen national teams affiliated with 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.
73 matches were held over the course of the tournament, including three walkovers caused when Romania withdrew after the draw.

## 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 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 233 | 132 | +101 |
| 2. | France | 7 | 3 | 1 | 232 | 146 | +86 |
| 3. | Netherlands | 7 | 3 | 1 | 172 | 177 | −5 |
| 4. | Switzerland | 5 | 1 | 3 | 180 | 214 | −34 |
| 5. | Luxembourg | 4 | 0 | 4 | 114 | 262 | −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 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 312 | 117 | +195 |
| 2. | Turkey | 7 | 3 | 1 | 227 | 154 | +73 |
| 3. | Finland | 6 | 2 | 2 | 175 | 180 | −5 |
| 4. | Austria | 5 | 1 | 3 | 112 | 200 | −88 |
| 5. | Denmark | 4 | 0 | 4 | 94 | 269 | −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 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 147 | 70 | +77 |
| 2. | Greece | 5 | 2 | 1 | 121 | 103 | +18 |
| 3. | Portugal | 4 | 1 | 2 | 69 | 158 | −89 |
| 4. | Romania (withdrew) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | −6 |
| Greece | 38–68 | Bulgaria |
| Portugal | 35–81 | Greece |
| Greece | 2–0 (Awarded) | Romania |
| Bulgaria | 77–32 | Portugal |
| Bulgaria | 2–0 (Awarded) | Romania |
| Portugal | 2–0 (Awarded) | Romania |

#### Group D

| Rank | Team | Pts | W | L | PF | PA | Diff |
| 1. | Belgium | 6 | 3 | 0 | 208 | 81 | +127 |
| 2. | Czechoslovakia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 203 | 99 | +104 |
| 3. | West Germany | 4 | 1 | 2 | 117 | 157 | −40 |
| 4. | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 3 | 68 | 259 | −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 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 118 | 102 | +16 |
| 2. | West Germany | 4 | 1 | 2 | 132 | 129 | +3 |
| 3. | Switzerland | 4 | 1 | 2 | 134 | 136 | −2 |
| 4. | Portugal | 4 | 1 | 2 | 122 | 139 | −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 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 201 | 119 | +82 |
| 2. | Netherlands | 5 | 2 | 1 | 162 | 111 | +51 |
| 3. | Denmark | 4 | 1 | 2 | 99 | 158 | −59 |
| 4. | Scotland | 3 | 0 | 3 | 101 | 175 | −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 |

### Classification round 2
#### 13th-16th place classification playoffs

| 13th-16th place semifinals | 13th-16th place semifinals | 13th place game | 13th place game |
| Denmark | 46 |
| Portugal | 39 | | |
| Portugal | 39 | Denmark | 22 |
| | | Switzerland | 54 |
| Switzerland | 68 | Switzerland | 54 |
| Scotland | 19 | | |
| Scotland | 19 | Third place | Third place |
| | | Portugal | 49 |
| | | Scotland | 42 |

#### 9th-12th place classification playoffs

| 9th-12th place semifinals | 9th-12th place semifinals | 9th place game | 9th place game |
| Finland | 67 |
| West Germany | 56 | | |
| West Germany | 56 | Finland | 57 |
| | | Netherlands | 52 |
| Austria | 28 | Netherlands | 52 |
| Netherlands | 44 | | |
| Netherlands | 44 | Third place | 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 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 149 | 140 | +9 |
| 2. | Bulgaria | 5 | 2 | 1 | 152 | 142 | +10 |
| 3. | Turkey | 5 | 2 | 1 | 125 | 124 | +1 |
| 4. | Belgium | 3 | 0 | 3 | 122 | 142 | −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 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 175 | 121 | +54 |
| 2. | Czechoslovakia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 157 | 127 | +30 |
| 3. | Italy | 4 | 1 | 2 | 140 | 177 | −37 |
| 4. | Greece | 3 | 0 | 3 | 133 | 180 | −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 |

### Final round
#### 5th-8th place classification playoffs

| 5th-8th place semifinals | 5th-8th place semifinals | 5th-8th place semifinals | 5th place game | 5th place game | 5th place game |
| B3 | Italy | 48 | | | |
| A4 | Belgium | 36 | | | |
| A4 | Belgium | 36 | B3 | Italy | 43 |
| | | | A3 | Turkey | 38 |
| A3 | Turkey | 42 | A3 | Turkey | 38 |
| B4 | Greece | 36 | 7th place game | 7th place game | 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 | Semifinals | Semifinals | EuroBasket Final | EuroBasket Final | EuroBasket Final |
| A1 | France | 50 | | | |
| B2 | Czechoslovakia | 59 | | | |
| B2 | Czechoslovakia | 59 | B2 | Czechoslovakia | 44 |
| | | | B1 | Soviet Union | 45 |
| B1 | Soviet Union | 72 | B1 | Soviet Union | 45 |
| A2 | Bulgaria | 54 | Bronze Medal Game | Bronze Medal Game | 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

* Soviet Union
* Czechoslovakia
* France
* Bulgaria
* Italy
* Turkey
* Belgium
* Greece
* Finland
* Netherlands
* Austria
* West Germany
* Switzerland
* Denmark
* Portugal
* Scotland
* Luxembourg
* 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)