The Soviets inbounded the ball, but the officials stopped the game with just one second left. The Soviets apparently called for a timeout in between Collins' free throws that wasn't acknowledged. The officials put three seconds back on the clock and the Soviet Union got to inbound the ball again.

On the second try the Soviets inbounded the ball in the backcourt and heaved a three-quarter length shot. The shot came up just short and the United States began their celebration, but they were ordered back on the court because the clock had not been properly reset to three seconds. The Americans were in complete disbelief, "We couldn't believe that they were giving them all these chances," said U.S. forward Mike Bantom. "It was like they were going to let them do it until they got it right."

On the third try, the Soviets finally got it right. They heaved in the inbounds pass just under the basket where it was caught by Alexander Belov who was able to lay the ball in for the game-winning bucket.

The US Team could not believe it. They felt they had been robbed and would file a formal protest to the International Basketball Federation, but the five-member panel voted 3-2 to uphold the result.

The US team never accepted their silver medals and they still sit in a Switzerland vault unclaimed. Kenny Davis even went so far as to put it in his will that his wife and children can never claim the medal once he has passed on.