Game 26: Toyota 119, Crispa 115 (July 4, 1976)

Toyota overcame the lost of five players because of six personal fouls and stunned Crispa in Game 1 of the 1976 PBA All-Filipino Conference finals. The Comets took the series opener despite trailing by 12 points in the third quarter.

Toyota wins, 119 to 115

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Monday July 5, 1976

Toyota lost five men on fouls and then while the jampacked crowd gasped in intense anticipation, a pair of over-the-hill campaigners delivered the bombs that gave the Comets a 119-115 victory over the Crispa Redmanizers and a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five series for the All-Filipino PBA conference championship at the Araneta Coliseum.

Durable Joaquin Rojas, Jr., in the twilight of a storied career, and Rolando Marcelo, vainly seeking the form that catapulted him into prominence many years ago, scored back-to-back hits when it most mattered, putting Toyota ahead, 119-113, and on top of their arch-rivals whom they have now beaten three straight times.

Half of the story was carved on the foul throw line where Crispa ignominiously missed six shots in the last five minutes, four of them by the usually unerring Fortunato Co, and the star of the banned film “Uhaw...” will never probably lived down those misses.

Cezar banned three games (July 2, 1976)

Philip Cezar was suspended for the first three games of the best-of-five series for the 1976 PBA All-Filipino title for punching Ramon Fernandez in the Crispa-Toyota semifinal game.

Cezar gets 3-game ban, P500-fine

Bulletin Today
Published Saturday July 3, 1976

Crispa ace center Philip Cezar was suspended for three playing days and fined P500 yesterday as the Philippine Basketball Association, acting in consultation with the Games and Amusements Board, acted swiftly on the punching incident involving Cezar and Comet Ramon Fernandez during the other night’s Crispa-Toyota game.

The PBA, through commissioner Leo Prieto, meted out the punishment after watching the video tape of the game and hearing the sides of the two players who confronted each other at the commissioner’s office.

Also present were representatives from the GAB.

The suspension means Cezar will not be able to play for his team in the first three games of the best-of-five series for the All-Filipino PBA championship which begins tomorrow.

Game 25: Toyota 103, Crispa 101 (July 1, 1976)

Philip Cezar’s ejection for punching Ramon Fernandez marred Toyota’s win over Crispa in the final semifinal round game before their best-of-five showdown for the championship of the 1976 PBA All-Filipino Conference.

Toyota five nips Crispa, 103-101

By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published Friday July 2, 1976

Toyota pulled Crispa down to earth last night, winning 103-101, but more importantly, the Comets may have gotten ahead of the favored Redmanizers in the betting odds after Crispa’s premier center Philip Cezar was ejected for throwing a punch at Ramon Fernandez.

Cezar, who drew a four-month suspension also for hitting Fernandez during the All-Philippine Championship, faces a possible three-game suspension and a fine of not less than P500 should he be proven guilty.

Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner Leo Prieto will review the video tape of the incident this afternoon and then possibly call the persons involved to a confrontation before he metes out punishment.

Game 24: Toyota 104, Crispa 102 (June 24, 1976)

Francis Arnaiz scored the winning basket to complete Toyota’s comeback over Crispa in the semifinal round of the 1976 PBA All-Filipino Conference. The victory gave the Comets the solo lead in the four-team, round-robin phase.

Toyota five nips Crispa, 104-102

By Norberto Eljera
Bulletin Today
Published Friday June 25, 1976

Toyota, given up for lost in the final 75 seconds, capped a searing comeback last night with a lightning-quick 6-0 blast to turn back Crispa-Floro, 104-102, in a pulse-pounding match before some 25,000 fans at the Araneta Coliseum.

The victory - Toyota’s first over Crispa in the All-Filipino conference of the Philippine Basketball Association - gave the Comets the undisputed lead in the semifinal round with three straight victories.

Game 23: Crispa 121, Toyota 97 (June 6, 1976)

Crispa took advantage of the absence of several key players of Toyota to win their second meeting in Cebu City. The victory was also the second straight for the Redmanizers against the Comets in the 1976 PBA First Conference.

Crispa routs Toyota, 121-97

By Al Mendoza
Bulletin Today
Published Monday June 7, 1976

CEBU CITY, June 6, - Crispa-Floro bucked a jittery start tonight and went on to rout an undermanned Toyota team, 121-97, and take the undisputed lead in the All-Filipino conference of the Philippine Basketball Association at the Aznar Coliseum here.

The Redmanizers trailed the Comets four times in the first quarter, the last at 29-31, as the seven Comets unleashed a gallant stand to the delight of some 5,000 spectators.

Crispa took the first quarter by only one point, 33-32, then settled down to business, dropping to a 10-2 bomb to pocket the second quarter by 10, 61-51. William Adornado fired six of his game-high 29 points in this flurry.

Crispa was never threatened after that as Baby Dalupan’s boys breezed to their 12th win against only one loss. The defeat was only the second for Toyota against 11 wins.

Game 22: Crispa 105, Toyota 95 (May 4, 1976)

Philip Cezar marked his return from a lengthy suspension by leading Crispa to a win over Toyota in their first meeting of the 1976 PBA season. The match also saw the ejection of Abet Guidaben for throwing a punch at Ramon Fernandez in the second quarter.

Crispa trims Toyota, 105-95

By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published Wednesday May 5, 1976

Crispa-Floro, playing an inspired, heads-up game, outgunned arch-rival Toyota, 105-95, last night and reasserted its reputation as the country’s top all-Filipino team in the first round wind-up of the Philippine Basketball Association tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Redmanizers, who trailed by as much as eight points early in the second quarter, bucked the disqualification of center Alberto Guidaben to score the prestige-laden victory that pulled them abreast with the Comets on top of the standings with identical 7-1 records.

Guidaben was thrown out barely 15 minutes of the game for throwing a punch at Comet Ramon Fernandez during a rebound scuffle underneath the Toyota goal.

Despite claims of Guidaben that he blocked out when Fernandez reportedly swung at him, the offense carried automatic suspension and a fine of not less than P500.

Crispa-Floro, Team of the Year (Jan. 11, 1976)

The Philippine Panorama took a closer look at the Crispa Redmanizers after beating the Toyota Comets in the 1975 PBA All-Philippine Championship. The Sunday weekly magazine of Bulletin Today even mentioned the Redmanizers as the Team of the Year for capturing the most important title of the PBA’s inaugural season.

We’re No. 1

By Chelo Banal
Philippine Panorama
Published Sunday January 11, 1976

THERE’S jubilation now in the Crispa quarters as there should be when a team feels vindicated. Twice the Crispa boys were close to it but didn’t make it. Finally the pieces fit, the poem rhymed and they took the PBA All-Philippine championship title.

Never mind the bruises - they’ll heal in time - and the fines - it’s only money - and Philip Cezar’s suspension - he’ll only miss half the ‘76-PBA’s first conference. For the moment the Redmanizers are ready to paint the town red.

Don Pablo Floro is holding small brown envelopes containing cash bonus for each player. As the Redmanizers break into wide smiles for their souvenir team photos, he says, “Ang sinasabi ko lang sa inyo ay maging loyal kayo sa team.” He takes a puff at his cigar and then distributes the envelopes while the boys cheer wildly.