Andy Fields’ three-point play in the final seconds gave Toyota a dramatic win over Crispa to arrange a best-of-five meeting with U-Tex for the 1980 PBA first conference crown.
Toyota edges Crispa five, gains finals
By Al S. Mendoza
Bulletin Today
Published Wednesday July 23, 1980
Six-foot-eight (203.2 cms) Andrew Fields scored the winning points last night as Toyota nipped Crispa, 102-100, in an exciting down-the-wire match to arrange a title showdown with U-Tex in the PBA first conference at the Araneta Coliseum.
Fields had only 12 points for the night but his last three shoved the Tamaraws to a 102-100 lead from a 99-100 deficit, seven seconds to go.
Crispa had a quick inbound on the return play but Fortunato Co, Jr. missed a hurried shot on the three-point line although a pass to a waiting Larry Boston under the goal would have been safer as there were still four ticks left.
Toyota and U-Tex clash at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in the opener of their best-of-five championship series.
Crispa and Great Taste meet at 5:30 p.m. in the first game of their own series for third place.
“It was pure breaks of the game that won us the game,” said Toyota coach Fortunato Acuna. “But I would like to give credit to Jaworski and Fields for their brilliant teamup in the last seven seconds of the game.”
It was Jaworski, after a hard collision with Crispa’s Bernard Fabiosa, who set up Fields for that winning three-point play.
“Jaworski was not par with his game, but he had complete control of his teammates,” added Acuna. “That’s what we call experience. His split second pass to Fields was the true mark of an experienced player.”
But Crispa coach Baby Dalupan blamed officiating for his team’s loss.
“They suddenly forgot to call fouls in the closing seconds of the game,” said Dalupan. “Jaworski clearly barged into Fabiosa but there was no foul. Again Fields charged into Boston and there was no foul agaijn. Do you call that basketball?”
It was indeed a heartbreaker for Crispa which had wiped out an early 14-point deficit and took the upperhand for the first time, 100-99, 19 ticks remaining.
It was Co who pushed Crispa to that 100-99 lead with a blistering drive from deep left after Arnulfo Tuadles shattered a 98-all tie on a foul throw with 22 seconds left.
Acuna sued for time after Co’s basket. When play resumed, Abe King attempted from under but he was fouled by Boston — his sixth block for the evening — although Toyota retained possession as the ball went out of bounds, 15 ticks to go.
Jaworski faked a drive from left and barged into Fabiosa a split second after passing the ball to Fields who made the shot while earning a foul from Boston.
Fields coolly sank the foul throw for Toyota’s winning 102-100 lead.
“I simply tried to make the shot. And boy it went in. Sure I was lucky,” said the mild-mannered, 24-year-old Toyota import, a native of Atlantic City.
Fields, described by Dalupan as the best import in the league, grabbed 10 rebounds as he routed Boston and Sylvester Cuyler, who had only 11 rebounds between them.
Fiery Francis Arnaiz topscored with 24 points as Toyota endured the absence of Ramon Fernandez, who fouled out with still eight minutes and 54 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
The individual scores:
Toyota — 102
Arnaiz 24
Tuadles 16
Fernandez 15
Florencio 14
Fields 12
A. King 10
B. King 6
Jaworski 5
Crispa — 100
Cezar 22
Guidaben 18
Co 18
Boston 15
Hubalde 10
Cuyler 9
Natividad 4
De la Cruz 4
Dionisio 0
Fabiosa 0
Quarterscores: 25-19, 53-43, 77-70, 102-100
Toyota 25 28 24 25 — 102
Crispa 19 24 27 30 — 100
Refs: R. Bartolome, R. Manuel, G. Ledesma
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