American import Byron "Snake" Jones rebounded from his so-so performance in Game 1 to help Toyota win Game 2 of the 1975 PBA First Conference Finals. Jones had 30 points and 25 rebounds as the Comets tied the best-of-five series at 1-1.
Toyota five nips Crispa, 88 to 87
By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published July 29, 1975
Toyota withstood the overwhelming pressure of a blistering Crispa rally last night as the Comets subdued the Redmanizers, 88-87, in a low-scoring match to even up their best-of-five Philippine Basketball Association championship at one win apiece at the Araneta Coliseum.
Six-foot-eight Byron "Snake" Jones preserved a sparkling one-man show for the Comets by banging in his team's final point to cushion Toyota from a searing Crispa rally that saw the Redmanizers narrow the gap to 85-86, 58 seconds left, from an early 73-82 deficit.
Jones made it 88-85, 30 ticks remaining, but successive fumbled by Redmanizer Philip Cezar and Comet Francis Arnaiz consumed the time from the resulting turnovers and the Redmanizers never stopped trying after Rodolfo Soriano charitied twice, 88-87, 10 ticks left.
They intercepted the throw-in with seven seconds to go but Cezar stepped on the endline, giving possession back to the Comets.
It was one of the finest Toyota-Crispa match ever and the banner crowd of some 23,000 regaled from the ferocity of the contest that saw both teams display the best defensive patterns in their arsenal as reflected by their total scores - the lowest by both teams since the start of the three-phase, first conference PBA series.
Cezar matched Jones' heroics for the night, hauling 20 rebounds against Jones' 25 but the Filipino center had more blocked shots - 10 - though the American finished with 30 points against Cezar's 12.
The U-Tex Wranglers also equalled their own series with Royal Tru-Orange at one win each by prevailing, 122-113, in the opening of the twinbill.
The four teams see action for the third time tonight in the series with U-Tex and Royal clashing in the opening match at 5:30 p.m. and Crispa and Toyota mixing it up at 7:30 p.m.
Crispa coach Baby Dalupan credited the Comets for their exemplary performance but minced no words in assailing the officiating.
"At least three goal-tending calls should have been made," Dalupan fumed as he recounted the times that Jones' alleged illegal blocks went unchallenged by referees Bartolome and Santarine.
William Adornado, in a somewhat subpar performance, comfounded the Redmanizers' miseries by collecting only 16 points with Robert Jaworski credited for putting the clamps on him, a far cry from the 20 he banged in in Crispa's 107-103 triumph over Toyota in the opener last Thursday.
Fortunato Co exemplified Crispa's offensive depth as he fired 24 points but others failed to rise from the perils of a championship pressure like Alberto Guidaben who appeared awkward and clumsy in the face of Toyota's determination.
The individual scores:
Toyota - 88
Jones 30
Segura 20
Fernandez 13
Jaworski 13
Arnaiz 8
Rocha 2
Reynoso C. 2
Clarino 0
Bauzon 0
Rojas 0
Acuna 0
Crispa - 87
Co 24
Adornado 16
Fabiosa 14
Cezar 12
Hubalde 10
Soriano 6
Franco 4
Sta. Maria 1
Calilan 0
De la Cruz 0
Guidaben 0
Toyota 22 30 18 18 - 88
Crispa 19 26 24 18 - 87
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