Monday, May 12, 1975

Oscar Rocha Suspended

Toyota's Oscar Rocha was regarded as one of the PBA's top enforcers. Rocha was given a one-month suspension in 1975 for punching Bernie Fabiosa in the league's first-ever Crispa-Toyota match.

One-month suspension, P 500-fine for Rocha

PBA also fines Fabiosa, Reynoso

Bulletin Today
Published Tuesday May 13, 1975

Toyota's Oscar Rocha was suspended for one month and fined P500 by the Philippine Basketball Association for punching Crispa's Bernard Fabiosa during last Saturday's Crispa-Toyota match while two others, including Fabiosa, were similarly fined for various offenses committed during the same contest.

The disciplinary measures were announced by PBA commissioner Leo Prieto yesterday as the association firmly set the tone on the courses of action it would take in dealing with misbehaving players on the court.

Fabiosa, the spitfirish Crispa sentinel, was slapped P50 fine for throwing the ball at Cristino Reynoso while Reynoso himself drew a P25 fine for making dirty hand signs.

Saturday, May 10, 1975

Game 1: Crispa 139, Toyota 133 (May 10, 1975)


Crispa emerged victorious in the first PBA game of the two archrivals. The match held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum served as a prelude to a year that saw both teams figuring in a number of violent encounters.

Crispa five clouts Toyota, 139-133

By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published Sunday May 11, 1975

Crispa-Floro, playing with the same tormenting aggressiveness and precision that made it the country's premier team, derailed Toyota's running game last night and hacked out a stirring 139-133 victory that fittingly closed the first round of the Philippine Basketball Association's first conference.

A sellout crowd of 11,000 witnessed the game.

The defeat snapped a 20-game Toyota winning streak but the repercussions of the loss may linger longer than expected when PBA commissioner Leo Prieto shall pass judgment on Toyota's Oscar Rocha who hit Crispa's Bernard Fabiosa during the dying seconds of the torrid match.