Final Stage (Gold medal game), 1986 FIBA World Cup
July 20, 1986 · Madrid, Spain
Final Stage (Gold medal game), 1986 FIBA World Cup: USA 87–85 Soviet Union, at Madrid, Spain on July 20, 1986.
The USA's first World Championship title in 32 years, since 1954, in a rematch of the 1982 final (which the Soviets had won 95-94). Kenny Smith's late driving layup over Arvydas Sabonis sealed it after a furious late Soviet comeback had cut an 18-point deficit to two.
Top performers
| Soviet Union — top performers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | PTS | REB | AST |
| Arvydas Sabonis | 16 | 10 | 0 |
| USA — top performers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | PTS | REB | AST |
| David Robinson | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| Charles Smith | 17 | 4 | 0 |
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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