How Crispa did it (Nov. 20, 1976)

Not even the warning signs of a fortune teller and an injury to Bogs Adornado hampered the Crispa Redmanizers' march to the 1976 PBA Second Conference crown.

How Crispa did it

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Saturday November 20, 1976

The omen was bad in Crispa's bid for its third straight Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) championship.

Team manager Danny Floro, whose consultations with fortune tellers and some other not-so-divine characters prior to each championship series carry the weight of grim finality, was shaking his head after emerging in one such session during his team's sojourn in Cebu two weeks ago in the PBA semifinals.

“Wala, hindi raw kami magtsa-tsampyon,” he said with grief written in his face. According to Floro, the fortune teller, obviously with a Visayan accent, had warned him that some of his players would be out to sabotage his bid for a third straight crown.

Game 37: Crispa 103, Toyota 94 (Nov. 18, 1976)

Crispa delivered the knockout blow on Toyota to capture the 1976 PBA Second Conference crown. The 3-1 series victory gave the Redmanizers their third consecutive crown, all at the expense of the Silver Tamaraws.

Crispa beats Toyota, 103-94; wins PBA title

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Friday November 19, 1976

Crispa played its characteristic deadly game last night and brought down Toyota, 103-94, to win the Philippine Basketball Association second conference championship before another banner crowd of some 30,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Redmanizers, brought to this fourth game of a best-of-five titular series with Toyota by virtue of the Silver Tamaraws' 108-98 victory Tuesday night, controlled the game after erasing an early 1-6 deficit.

There was no fire it seemed from the Silver Tamaraws whose comeback from a 0-2 deficit had placed them on even odds with the Redmanizers for this decisive fourth game.

Game 36: Toyota 108, Crispa 98 (Nov. 16, 1976)

Byron “Snake” Jones and Ompong Segura's heroics prevented Toyota from being swept by Crispa after winning Game 3 of their best-of-five showdown for the 1976 PBA Second Conference crown.

Toyota stays alive in series

Trims Crispa, 108-98

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Wednesday November 17, 1976

Toyota's back-to-the-wall Silver Tamaraws, starring Rodolfo Segura and Byron “Snake” Jones in the fourth quarter, turned the tables on Crispa last night, 108-98, to stay alive in the best-of-five series for the PBA second conference championship at the Araneta Coliseum.

Segura and Jones scored six points each in a crippling 12-4 Toyota attack in the last five minutes that catapulted Dante Silverio's boys from 90-92 deficit to an irreversible 104-94 lead.

It was a rousing comeback for the Silver Tamaraws who had entered the contest as the underdogs following the 95-92 and 98-93 losses to the Redmanizers in the first two games of the series.

The series now moves into a fourth game tomorrow with the two teams clashing in the second game at 7:45 p.m.

Game 35: Crispa 98, Toyota 93 (Nov. 14, 1976)

Crispa overcame Toyota's fourth quarter rally to gain a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series and move one victory shy of capturing the 1976 PBA Second Conference crown. The trio of Bernie Fabiosa, Atoy Co and Cyrus Mann carried the fight for the Denims in repeating over the Silver Tamaraws.

Crispa edges Toyota

Denims a game away from title

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Monday November 15, 1976

Crispa uncorked a strong finishing kick last night to subdue Toyota, 98-93, for its second straight win that moved the Denims to within a game of clinching the best-of-five series for the PBA second conference title.

Like in their first game, the trio of Bernard Fabiosa, Fortunato Co and Cyrus Mann were the heroes for the Redmanizers as they came up with the decisive blows that firmly stopped a searing Toyota rally in the tension-laden contest watched by an overflow of some 35,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.

A resurgent Co, uncharacteristically cold for three quarters, suddenly found his range in the last period and together with Rodolfo Soriano gave Baby Dalupan's boys their biggest of 14 points, 88-74.

Game 34: Crispa 95, Toyota 92 (Nov. 12, 1976)

Import Cyrus Mann and Bernie Fabiosa made the big plays down the stretch as Crispa beat Toyota in the first game of the 1976 PBA Second Conference Finals. Atoy Co topscored for Crispa with 30 points.

Crispa shades Toyota, 95-92

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Saturday November 13, 1976

Crispa scrambled o a 95-92 victory over Toyota last night, relying on two electrifying steals by Bernard Fabiosa in the last 60 seconds, in the opener of their best-of-five series for the Philippine Basketball Association second conference championship at the Araneta Coliseum.

Fabiosa, fresh from a three-game suspension, practically broke the backs of the rallying Comets who led for most of the evening as he magnificently teamed up with American import Cyrus Mann in the last five minutes of the tense, excruciating struggle that seemed to build up to volcanic explosion going into the final second.

Game 33: Toyota 109, Crispa 102 (Nov. 10, 1976)

Toyota beat Crispa in a non-bearing semifinal match before the start of their best-of-five title series in the 1976 PBA Second Conference. The game also saw Crispa star Bogs Adornado reinjuring his knee in return from a one-month absence.

Toyota trims Crispa, 109-102

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Thursday November 11, 1976

Toyota captured top semifinal honors last night as the Comets outplayed Crispa in the last three minutes, 109-102, in a game surprisingly marked by extreme cautiousness by both sides at the Araneta Coliseum.

Short of possibly and practically exchanging pleasantries on the court, the Comets and the Redmanizers went through the motions of finishing this final game of the semifinals which had no bearing as the two teams have already arranged a showdown for the second conference title in a best-of-five series beginning tomorrow.

Jaworski, Fabiosa banned 3 games (Nov. 2, 1976)

Robert Jaworski and Bernie Fabiosa were suspended three games each for their punching incident in their 1976 PBA Second Conference semifinal match.

Toyota edges U-Tex

Crispa routs Royal for triple tie; Jaworski, Fabiosa banned 3 games

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Wednesday November 3, 1976

Toyota survived immense pressure of a scorching U-Tex rally to prevail, 96-93, in a classic duel that dwarfed Crispa's easy 128-100 win over Royal Tru-Orange in the semifinal round of the PBA second conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

Crispa and Toyota's victories threw the race for the two final slots wide open among the Denims, the Comets and the Wranglers. The three teams now have an identical 2-1 record with Royal Tru-Orange bringing up the rear with three straight losses.

The Comets broke a tight, pulsating game in the last quarter to led 84-76 from a 70-74 deficit and was leading 94-86 going into the last two minutes and 30 seconds when U-Tex uncorked a blistering rally.