Francis Arnaiz rescued Toyota from the
jaws of defeats to stun Crispa and take a commanding 2-0 lead in
their best-of-five series for the 1976 PBA All-Philippine
Championship. Toyota won despite losing three players because of six
personal fouls.
Toyota shades Crispa, 118-117
By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published Wednesday December 15, 1976
Toyota's sparkling Tamaraws, displaying
nerves of steel in the face of tremendous pressure, overhauled a
five-point deficit in the last two minutes last night to subdue the
Crispa Redmanizers in overtime, 118-117, that moved them to within a
game of clinching the Philippine Basketball Association's
All-Philippine Championship.
Francis Arnaiz, epitomizing all that is
best in the Tamaraws, banged in his team's last six points as he
performed with amazing efficiency, razing an imposing 115-110 Crispa
spread and insuring the Toyota victory with a clinching drive in the
last five seconds that propelled Toyota on top, 118-115.
No other match between these titans of
professional basketball has evoked so much sweat, produced so much
animosity as last night's.
Making the Toyota victory sweeter and
at the same time doubly bitter for Crispa was the fact that four
Tamaraws fouled out just before the extension, including Ramon
Fernandez, Rodolfo Segura and a fine playing Gil Cortez who all
fouled out in succession.
Crispa coach Baby Dalupan will probably
never live down the ignomity of having to lose so vital a contest,
his team ahead at so crucial a point only to fall down like a deck of
cards.
Consecutive errors by the Redmanizers,
one by the mercurial Fortunato Co, Jr., who stepped on the line, and
the other a 25-second violation with 40 ticks left, gave the Tamaraws
the lift that finally moved them ahead as Arnaiz scored on both
occasions.
The Tamaraws themselves earlier were
the victims of their own carelessness as they blew up a six-point
spread, 106-100, with 90 seconds left during regulation play that saw
the clawing, fighting Redmanizers level at 106-all on a split of
charities by Bernard Fabiosa that forged the extension.
Now, Toyota needs only to win
tomorrow's third contest to deny Crispa a rare three-title sweep of
the PBA season while scoring a never-before-achieved 3-0 sweep of a
best-of-five series.
Odds are strong that the Tamaraws may
just do it. The pressure is off, they have been playing extremely
well and even if they don't score a sweep, they are almost certain to
get the title as no team, in the brief history of the PBA, has come
down from a 0-2 deficit to claim a title.
In an equally spine-tingling contest,
the Noritake Porcelain-makers edged U-Tex, 134-129, in double
overtime that evened up their own series for third place at one win
apiece.
It was the only second double overtime
in the PBA while the extension between Crispa and Toyota was the
first in 40 meetings.
“At no time did we ever give up the
contest,” remarked Toyota coach Dante Silverio after the game as
his boys whopped it up inside the dressing room, almost unbelieving
that they are ahead, 2-0 over Crispa who beat them decisively in
three championship games.
He, however, was cautious in expressing
too much overconfidence and added that “the game is not yet over.
But we will try our best to win again.”
Coach Dalupan, on the other hand, was
almost speechless at the dugout. He seemed struck by the sudden
resurrection of Toyota in the dying minutes and repeatedly shook his
head in disbelief. He had no comment about the game.
Crispa ominously moved ahead by three
points, 111-108, early in the extension, coming on a blast by the
overworked Cyrus Mann and another conversion ob a technical called on
Byron “Snake” Jones, his second, for playing the zone defense,
the first time such an offense was called in the league.
Toyota – 118
Jones 29
Arnaiz 24
Jaworski 20
Cortez 10
Smith 8
Segura 7
Acuna 6
Bauzon 6
Fernandez 4
Clarino 4
Tolentino 0
Crispa – 117
Co 41
Mann 26
P. Cezar 21
Hubalde 16
Fabiosa 6
Soriano 3
Bunton 2
Varela 2
Dionisio 0
Franco 0
Guidaben 0
Fouled out: Cortez, Segura, Acuna,
Fernandez, Fabiosa, Soriano, Dionisio
Toyota 31 22 30 23 12 – 118
Crispa 21 24 32 27 11 – 117
Refs: J. Obias, R. Bartolome
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