Game 92: Crispa 122, Toyota 102 (Dec. 9, 1980)

Crispa moved one win from taking the 1980 PBA All-Filipino title via a 20-game sweep after pummeling a demoralized Toyota side in Game 2.

Crispa a game away from 20-game sweep

By Bert Eljera

Bulletin Today

Published Wednesday Dec. 10, 1980

Crispa was again at its deadliest last night as the Redmanizers continued their mastery of the Toyota Tamaraws with an easy 122-102 win that moved the defending PBA All-Filipino champions within a game of completing an unprecedented 20-game sweep.

The victory, Crispa’s 19th straight, gave the Redmanizers a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five championship series. It was also Crispa’s fifth straight win over Toyota in this conference and it gave the Redmanizers a 49-43 edge in their continuing rivalry.

Robert Jaworski, dragging his injured foot, played his hearts out, but none of his teammates displayed the same fire as the Redmanizers virtually toyed with the Tamaraws.

So outclassed were the Tamaraws that a crowd of some 10,000 fans at the Araneta Coliseum could only watched in awe as the Tamaraws started pulling away in the third quarter from their once-mighty rivals.

Crispa will gun for that record 20-game sweep tomorrow in Game 3 of the title series.

“This is it. The pressure was there again but with the way the boys are playing, we hope to end it all on Thursday,” said Crispa coach Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan.

“I don’t pay much attention to what is happening to the other team. My main concern is how my players are playing,” added Dalupan, refusing to comment on the obvious demoralization hitting the ranks of Toyota.

The Tamaraws, who again played without Francis Arnaiz, locked themselves up in their dressing room after the game and when Toyota mentor Fortunato Acuna emerged from it, he could only say “No comment.”

Thus Crispa is now one game away from capturing their fourth All-Filipino title while Toyota may end up with unenviable record of being the bridesmaid of the season, having placed second in the first and second conferences.

Unlike in the first game which saw Crispa scramble to a 108-101 victory, the Redmanizers played with virtually no pressure at all and after sprinting to a 10-point lead, 46-36, in the second quarter, the outcome was never in doubt.

The game got rough in the third quarter but the Redmanizers were undeterred by it as they continued to pour on the heat to win pulling away.

Philip Cezar, the frontrunner in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) race, led five Redmanizers who score din double figures while Arnulfo Tuadles and Ramon Fernandez led Toyota with 27 and 23 points, respectively, although their games lacked hustle going into the final half.

Tanduay also moved within a game of clinching third place with a 109-102 victory over Gilbey’s Gin in the first game behind the clutch-shooting of Jaime Manansala.

The game also saw Wilfredo Generalao catch up with San Miguel’s Melchor Ravanes in the battle for the Rookie of the Year award after coming out with 79 statistical points to match Ravanes’ 2075 total.

The individual scores:

Crispa — 122

Cezar 27

Co 26

Hubalde 22

Guidaben 18

Fabiosa 12

Dionisio 8

Gulfin 4

Varela 2

Carpio 2

Mamaril 2

Javier 2

D.L. Cruz 0

Toyota — 102

Tuadles 27

Fernandez 23

Jaworski 19

King 13

Herrera 9

Florencio 5

Salazar 2

Legaspi 2

Javier 2

Bulaong 0

Quarterscores: 26-25, 61-53, 91-79, 122-102

Crispa  26  35  30  31 — 122

Toyota  25  28  26  23 — 102

Refs: R. Bartolome, T. de los Reyes, A. de la Cruz