Game 5: Crispa 107, Toyota 103 (July 24, 1975)

Crispa, playing without the suspended Johnny Revilla, took the opening game of the best-of-five series for the 1975 PBA First Conference championship behind big games from Bogs Adornado and Philip Cezar and a strong defensive effort on Toyota import Byron "Snake" Jones.

Crispa topples Toyota, 107-103

Philippine Daily Express
Published Friday July 25, 1975

QUEZON CITY, July 24 - Crispa weathered a swarming, almost paralyzing Toyota full-court in a torrid finish to win, 107-103, tonight and take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series for the first conference championship of the Philippine Basketball Association.

It was an inspiring win, fashioned before another capacity crowd at the Araneta Coliseum, for the Redmanizers, who entered the contest in the unusual role of underdog after absorbing back-to-back losses to the Comets in the semi-finals besides having had to scramble into the finals via a playoff with Universal Textile.

***
ALFREDO HUBALDE split his charities off Rodolfo Segura and Bernard Fabiosa drove in for 107-103 with only 15 seconds left after the Comets, who had been sputtering all evening, had closed in menacingly at 104-103 on three straight hits.

The Redmanizers, tigerish in defense and in rebounds and hitting behind a calculating weaving offense, led the way, posting their biggest margin of 16 points at 41-25 and 77-61.

Tru-Orange shocked Universal Textile, 116-110, earlier in another best-of-five series for third place.
***
WILLIAM Adornado again sparkled for the Redmanizers with a game-high 29 points, 15 of which he fired in the first half which Crispa took at 61-54. Philip Cezar unloaded 16 points against the towering Byron "Snake" Jones, who was completely neutralized by a double-teaming Crispa defense.

Robert Jaworski, unimpressive in his last games, topped the Comets' offensive with 26 points with Ramon Fernandez following with 22. Francis Arnaiz managed to finish with 18, mostly in the Comets' last period attack, while Jones sputtered with 11.
***

THE REDMANIZERS, who went into the contest concededly inferior in stamina, hardly suffered from their handicap as coach Baby Dalupan masterfully shuffled 11 men against the nine used by Comets coach Dante Silverio.

The two clubs meet again Monday with Crispa regaining its role of favorite.

The individual scores: (from Bulletin Today)

Crispa - 107
Adornado 29
Cezar 25
Co 16
Guidaben 10
Fabiosa 8
Franco 7
Hubalde 7
De la Cruz 4
Calilan 1
Leano 0
Soriano 0

Toyota - 103
Jaworski 26
Fernandez 22
Arnaiz 18
Segura 12
Jones 11
C. Reynoso 10
Rojas 4
Bauzon 0
Clarino 0

Crispa  31  30  25  21  -  107
Toyota  21  33  21  28  -  103

The Daily Express had a brief explanation of Revilla's absence from its July 24 issue.

"The problem-free Comets take court at 7:30 p.m. heavily favored to take the series lead over the Redmanizers, burdened psychologically not only by two straight losses to the Comets but also by the absence of star guard Johnny Revilla suspended three months and who, it is said, will be traded afterwards."