Game 78: Toyota 123, Walk Tall 95 (Dec. 11, 1979)

Toyota crushed Crispa Walk Tall on the day Dante Silverio resigned as coach and team manager to even the 1979 PBA third conference championship series at a game apiece.

Toyota rips Crispa by 28

By Al Mendoza

Bulletin Today

Published Wednesday Dec. 12, 1979

Toyota, with its three suspended players back and playing under a new coach, bounced back with vengeance last night to crush Crispa Walk Tall, 123-95, and square their best-of-five series for the PBA third conference championship at one game apiece.

A crowd estimated at 12,000 — one of the smallest to watch a Toyota-Crispa match at the Araneta Coliseum — saw the reinforced Tamaraws rout the Jeansmakers, who played without import Irving Chatman.

The Tams, now managed by Ricardo Silverio, Sr., president of the Delta Motor Corp., and coached by Fortunato Acuna following the resignation of Dante Silverio yesterday morning as coach and manager of the team, led all the way and even led by 37 points once in the lopsided encounter.

Elated no end by his team’s victory, the older Silverio said that the Tams now have a big chance of retaining the championship.

“The boys’ morale is high. They are paid well,” said Silverio. “Judging from the way they played tonight. I believe we have a big chance of winning the title.”

Commenting on the return of Ramon Fernandez, Abe King and Ernesto Estrada, Silverio said: “I have all the reason to believe that the three are good. All these rumors spreading around are plain gossip.”

Silverio said that the public was starting to lose interest in the pro loop.

“We owe the public something and putting the three back into action will restore the fans’ interest in basketball,” he said.

Asked whether Dante Silverio has completely abandoned coaching, the elder Silverio said: “My nephew is just emotional. You see he is a bit spoiled, but I know he is very sincere. One of these days, I’ll put him on the back and tell him, ‘let’s bury the hatchet.’”

The game was close only on the opening minutes as the score settled several times. But at 40-34, Bruce “Sky” King ignited a 24-4 Toyota blast that catapulted the Tams to a 64-38 bulge, two minutes in the second quarter.

The Tams’ biggest lead was a 37-pointer, 107-70, early in the fourth period.

In the first game, the U-Tex Wranglers edged Gilbey’s Gin, 122-119, in a rugged, physical game and moved within a game of clinching third place.

It was the second straight victory for the Wranglers in their own best-of-five series.

Toyota imports Bruce King and Andrew Fields controlled the boards as they took advantage of the absence of Chatman, who was nursing a bum stomach.

“Sumobra ang kain niya (He overate last night),” said Crispa manager Danny Floro. “Hindi raw nananghalian at naparami ang kinain niya sa gabi.”

With Toyota way ahead, Crispa coach Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan rested his other import, Bernard Harris throughout the fourth quarter.

“We will see in the third game whether they’re really good,” said Dalupan, referring to the Tamaraws. “We expect a different game when Chatman returns.

The scores:

Toyota — 123

Arnaiz 25

B. King 24

Jaworski 20

Fields 19

Legaspi 12

Fernandez 9

A. King 8

Tuadles 4

Salazar 2

Bulaong 0

Estrada 0

Crispa — 95

Harris 18

Hubalde 18

Adornado 15

Co 12

Fabiosa 9

Guidaben 8

D.L. Cruz 7

Dionisio 2

Varela 0

Espinosa 0

Quarterscores: 34-26, 66-40, 94-67, 123-95

Toyota  34  32  28  29 — 123

Crispa  26  14  27  28 — 95

Refs: E. Cruz, G. Ledesma, W. Mateo