Toyota put itself in a good position to reach the 1979 PBA All-Filipino Conference championship series after beating Crispa in their first semifinal meeting.
Tams gore Redmanizers
By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published Sunday June 17, 1979
Defending champion Toyota reduced Crispa to a fumbling, miserable squad in the final quarter last night to produce a come-from-behind 120-111 victory over the Redmanizers in the PBA All-Filipino semifinals at the Araneta Coliseum.
Ramon Fernandez, looking like the leading Most Valuable Player candidate, Francis Arnaiz, Robert Jaworski and Abe King combined all their varied talents in a sparkling last-quarter snow to spark the Tamaraws to their third straight win in the semifinals.
The victory virtually assured the Tamaraws a finals berth and it saddled Crispa with its first loss in the semifinals. The Redmanizers are still though, 34-30, in their running private battle.
Tanduay rebounded into contention for a finals berth by dumping an exhausted Filmanbank team, 125-115, for the Esquires’ first win.
The Bankers, many of them in their thirties, ran out of steam as the hustling Esquires turned a tight contest into a near rout going into the final period.
The Toyota-Crispa encounter, on the other hand, was a game full of fast-changing fortunes as both teams piled up points and then lost commanding leads in quick, seemingly magical seconds.
It was Toyota which first pulled away as it led 20-8 in the early goings.
But the Redmanizers rallied behind Philip Cezar, Alberto Guidaben and Fortunato Co, Jr. for a sizzling 19-2 explosion that put Crispa on top early in the third quarter.
But Crispa, which went on to take the third quarter, 88-79, found themselves reeling under a tremendous Toyota comeback in the deciding quarter, allowing the Tams to tie the score at 97-all.
A jumpshot by Emerito Legaspi placed the Tams ahead for good, 99-97, and in the process ignited a 16-5 Tamaraw binge that gave the Tams a commanding 114-102 lead, two and a half minutes left. All told, Toyota routed Crispa in the fourth quarter, 41-23.
Crispa coach Baby Dalupan was shaking his head after the game.
“Instead of tightening their defense while ahead, the boys suddenly disintegrated,” Dalupan said. He added: “Ewan ko kung paanong nangyari iyon (I don’t know how it happened).”
Crispa’s ace gunner Atoy Co reported with a bum stomach and at one time had to leave the game and was only half as effective. He had only 13 points for the evening.
The triple-threat Fernandez led all scorers with 26 points while Arnaiz and Jaworski scored 20 and 18 points, respectively. Legaspi and Arnulfo Tuadles had 16 points apiece while Abe King added 14.
The scores:
Toyota — 120
Fernandez 26
Arnaiz 20
Jaworski 18
Legaspi 16
Tuadles 16
King 14
Sta. Maria 6
Salazar 4
Bulaong 0
Crispa — 111
Fabiosa 20
Guidaben 16
Cezar 15
Co 13
Hubalde 12
Varela 11
Adornado 6
Javier 5
Gulfin 4
Dionisio 3
Espinosa 0
D.L. Cruz 0
Quarterscores: 28-26, 61-55, 79-88, 120-111
Toyota 28 33 18 41 — 120
Crispa 26 29 33 23 — 111
Refs: J. Obias, T. de los Reyes, G. Ledesma
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