Team USA continues to roll in the men's basketball competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics. The most recent victory was a 110-63 thumping of Tunisia on Tuesday, July 31. The 47-point win followed a 98-71 victory over France two days before. On the women's side, the United States did better than their male counterparts. Team USA beat Angola 90-38 Monday, July 30. That was a 52-point blowout.
How do these games compare to all-time blowouts in Olympic history? Try these on for size.
Soviet Union over Japan, 1976
The Japanese men's basketball team didn't win a single game at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Their first loss was to Canada by a score of 104-76. However, their worst showing by far was a 129-63 drubbing at the hands of the mighty Soviet Union on July 23, 1976. The 66-point margin is the worst in the history of Olympic basketball since the shot clock era, according to Sports-Reference.com.
Iraq in 1948
The 1948 Summer Olympics in London featured one of the worst men's basketball teams in the history of the competition. Sports-Reference.com states the Iraqi squad scored an average of 23.5 points per game while giving up an average of 103.7 points in six games. Their first loss was to the Philippines, 102-30. Next came Chile, which beat Iraq 100-18. Belgium defeated the Middle Eastern team 98-20. South Korea did even better when they won 120-20. China had a victory of 125-25. Italy beat Iraq "only" by a score of 77-28 in the elimination round.
United States in 1948
In a huge blowout in the gold medal game in 1948, Team USA won over France by a score of 65-21. Yet the march to the gold medal was substantially lopsided before that game. The United States beat Switzerland 86-21 in their opening game. Other notable blowouts by Team USA included a 66-28 win over Egypt and a 61-33 win over Peru. In the quarterfinals, the USA won over Uruguay 63-28 before demolishing Mexico 71-40. Keep in mind, these scores were before the vaunted "Dream Team" and before the shot clock innovation.
United States over Thailand, 1956
The United States continued to dominate basketball in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. The most lopsided blowout came against Thailand by a score of 101-29. Next was a 121-53 win over the Philippines. Another game saw the United States win 113-51 over Brazil. In the semifinals, Team USA drubbed Uruguay 101-38 before winning a gold medal over the Soviet Union.
United States over Angola, 1992
The "Dream Team" had its first game in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 against Angola. One of the best teams ever assembled beat the African nation 116-48 on its way to a gold medal. Since basketball started in the Olympics in 1936, the United States has won gold in all but four tournaments. One of those was due to a boycott in 1980 when the games were held in Moscow.
All statistical sources from past Olympics are provided by Sports-Reference.com.
