Cyrus Mann's jumper late allowed Crispa
to repeat over Toyota and force their 1976 PBA All-Philippine
Championship title series to a rubber match.
Crispa squares series
Wranglers place third
By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published Monday, December 20, 1976
Crispa, still seething with vengeance,
took the measure of Toyota anew last night, pounding out a close
104-103 win in a bruising, tempestous encounter that sent their
championship series to a fifth and deciding game tomorrow for the
All-Philippine crown of the Philippine Basketball Association at the
Araneta Coliseum.
A jumper by Cyrus Mann with 30 seconds
left provided the Redmanizers the difference in the pulse-pounding
contest after the Tamaraws had uncorked a desperate rally in the last
two minutes that saw them outshot the victors, 12-2, from 102-91 down
to narrow the gap at what it was at end.
Elbows and at times, even fists, flew
in wild abandon and tempers were hard to contain in this fourth
meeting between the two clubs. But the Tamaraws appeared more on the
verge of losing their cool.
Francis Arnaiz, hero of Toyota's first
two victories, unleashed what looked like an intentional kick on
Bernard Fabiosa during the dying minutes of the game in full view of
some 22,000 spectators.
No infraction was called although the
crowd almost rose as one in raising a collective protest before
Fabiosa himself signalled his teammates to remain calm in the face of
what he later termed in the dugout as Toyota's “desperate moves.”
The Redmanizers' victory came after
U-Tex had third place with a clinching 133-117 win over Noritake in
the fourth game of their own best-of-five series.
A commanding 36-23 lead in the first
quarter sent Narciso Bernardo's boys off to their third win in the
series. Six Wranglers, led by Lim Eng Beng who scored 22 points, hit
in double figures.
The Porcelain-makers, whose only win
came in the second game, were led by Billy Robinson and James
Cornelious who combined for 53 points.
A swirling, double-teaming defense that
jelled in the last two quarters were the key to Crispa's sudden
contention for the crown as they took the lead for the first time at
55-53, never to look back again.
Fortunato Co, Jr., sizzling hot all
evening, and the overworked Mann gave Crispa some of its finest
moments, although heroics by a rejuvenated Rodolfo Soriano, Fabiosa
and Alberto Guidaben many times pulled the Redmanizers away from the
relentlessly threatening Tamaraws. Co led all scorers with 25 points.
The Redmanizers, led by 14, their
biggest, 89-75, at the start of the fourth period with Co hitting two
straight baskets and Mann and Philip Cezar adding four in an 8-2
binge that all but broke the backs of Toyota whose bid was again
hampered by fouls that particularly hit Byron “Snake” Jones who
had five with still 11 minutes left.
Now Crispa is all even with Toyota at
two wins apiece and has dramatically moved from underdog to favorite
when the Redmanizers clash with the Tamaraws in the lone game
tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.
Crispa, thus, stands on the threshold
of becoming the first team to sweep all PBA titles in one season. A
victory will also mark the only instance that a team came from behind
a 0-2 deficit in a championship series to win a crown.
A win by Toyota, however, will deny
Crispa of a rare sweep while at the same time give the Tamaraws the
only title that has eluded them in the PBA.
“The boys were all fired up,” said
Coach Baby Dalupan of Crispa.
Mann, on the other hand, said it was
the defense, particularly in the second half that did it. “We came
back strong in the defense in the last two quarters. They (the
Tamaraws) were forced to shoot outside and this allowed me to
concentrate on my man,” he added.
Crispa – 104
Co 25
Fabiosa 18
Mann 18
Soriano 13
P. Cezar 11
Hubalde 9
Dionisio 6
Bunton 2
Guidaben 2
Pages 0
Varela 0
Toyota – 103
Arnaiz 24
Jaworski 18
Segura 18
Fernandez 15
Jones 11
Smith 7
Cortez 6
Acuna 4
Bauzon 2
Clarino 0
Fouled out: Cezar
Crispa 23 23 35 23 – 104
Toyota 28 22 23 30 – 103
Refs: I. Cahanding, J. Obias
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