In the preliminary round, the 16 teams were split up into four groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group advanced to the final round to play for the first 8 places, while the bottom two were sent to the classification round to play for 9th through 16th.
Yugoslavia was the first of the pool leaders to take a loss in the final round, playing against Bulgaria, who had won their division.
Poland
63 – 77
Hungary
France
45 – 65
Romania
Soviet Union
97 – 61
Yugoslavia
Bulgaria
82 – 80
Czechoslovakia
Bulgaria continued to oust division leaders, knocking Czechoslovakia out of the undefeated group. Romania and the Soviet Union each defeated their second opponents, joining Bulgaria at the top of the pool.
Poland
69 – 74
Bulgaria
Romania
61 – 76
Hungary
France
72 – 75
Yugoslavia
Soviet Union
62 – 60
Czechoslovakia
The Soviet team pulled off a close win over the Czechoslovakian team that had broken the Soviets' lossless European championship start at 32 games. Romania lost a rematch with preliminary round opponent Hungary, as those two teams went to 2–1 behind the Soviets and Bulgarians, who had each maintained perfect records in their first three games.
Yugoslavia
74 – 95
Czechoslovakia
France
58 – 81
Hungary
Soviet Union
86 – 64
Poland
Romania
54 – 67
Bulgaria
Bulgaria and the Soviet Union each won their 7th game of the tournament and 4th of the final round, improving to 4–0. Hungary stayed close behind, at 3–1, with Romania and Czechoslovakia staying in contention at 2–2.
Yugoslavia
69 – 68
Poland
Romania
63 – 87
Soviet Union
France
62 – 64
Czechoslovakia
Hungary
52 – 63
Bulgaria
The Soviets and Bulgarians remained undefeated as Hungary, falling to Bulgaria, dropped to 2 games behind them at 3–2 along with Czechoslovakia.
France
65 – 68
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
80 – 61
Poland
Yugoslavia
60 – 72
Romania
Hungary
51 – 62
Soviet Union
Improving to 6–0 each, the Soviet Union and Bulgaria set up a match between the two of them that would determine the championship in the seventh and final game of the round.
Hungary
81 – 61
Yugoslavia
Czechoslovakia
61 – 55
Romania
France
62 – 65
Poland
Bulgaria
57 – 60
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union trailed by 4 points at halftime in their decisive game against Bulgaria. The second half saw an explosion of scoring, with the Soviets adding 41 points in the frame to the 19 they had in the first half. Bulgaria wasn't able to maintain the pace, scoring only 34 in the second half to fall to the Soviets 60–57. Poland picked up their first win of the final round, defeating France, who fell to 0–7.