Tamaraws outgunned (May 20, 1978)

Bulletin Today sports editor Lito Fernandez broke down Crispa’s win over Toyota in their first meeting of the 1978 PBA season.

Tamaraws outgunned

THE NEUTRAL CORNER

By Lito Fernandez

Bulletin Today

Published Saturday May 20, 1978

The two Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) heavyweights clashed Thursday night and the team that packed the more powerful punch won.

Crispa, scoring heavily on inside hits, set up Toyota for the kill in the second quarter when the Redmanizers routed the Tamaraws, 37-21, for a commanding 62-48 halftime lead. After the Tams had closed in at 88-85 in the third period, the defending champions delivered the knockout blow in the final quarter with a 35-25 salvo.

Baby Dalupan’s charges backed up their torrid shooting with a tough defense that limited the high-scoring Tams to 110 points, well below Toyota’s average of 135.83 points per game. The Tams’ 48 points in the first two quarters and their 21 points in the second period were new lows for the team this season.

The Redmanizers’ defense also put the cuffs on Tamaraw skipper Robert Jaworski, who was held to 10 points, the Big J’s lowest output this season. Jaworski, the Tams’ leading scorer, was averaging 23.66 points before Thursday’s game.

We believe, however, that Jaworski had been a victim of a bum call in the fourth quarter which resulted in his fouling out. A slow motion of that particular play showed that Crispa’s Philip Cezar was holding Jaworski’s left hand. The Big J got the surprise of his life when a foul was slapped on him instead of the other way around.

Also playing a vital role in Crispa’s conquest of the previously unbeaten Tamaraws was the Redmanizers’ domination of the boards. The defending champs outrebounded the Tams, 68-51, as Cezar, Alberto Guidaben, Alfredo Hubalde and rookie Jaime Javier beat the Tams’ tall men off the boards.

The power-laden Tamaraws, plus-3 favorites to beat their arch-rivals, compounded their miseries by missing 17 of their 47 foul throw attempts for a poor 63.83 clip. On the field, they made good only 40 of their 103 tries, their lowest field goal production this season.

Cezar, making up for lost time with the Redmanizers (he had been out of the team nearly two months), was the game’s most outstanding player. He not only led all scorers with 26 points — he also topped the team in rebounds and blocked shots. The former Jose Rizal star got plenty of scoring support from Guidaben (21), Hubalde (21) and Atoy Co (18).

Crispa’s win stretched a winning streak and snapped another. By notching their sixth straight victory, the Redmanizers stopped the Toyota Express victory run at six.