Returning import Andy Fields carried shorthanded Toyota to a win over Grand Slam-seeking Crispa in the first game of both teams in the 1983 PBA Open Conference eliminations.
Toyota downs Crispa
By Willie Caballes
Bulletin Today
Published Wednesday Aug. 31, 1983
Defending champion Toyota, playing minus three key men, opened its title-retention drive last night with a 102-93 victory over archrival Crispa in the PBA Open Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.
Veteran Andrew Fields provided the spark for the Silver Coronas as he celebrated his fourth year in the Open with a team-high 31 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.
His all-around play plus the determination of the other Silver Coronas and the lackluster performance of the Redmanizers more than made up for the absence of flu-stricken Francis Arnaiz, Robert Jaworski and Ramon Fernandez, who was nursing a sprained left ankle.
The match was close throughout with no team leading by more than seven points in the first three quarters and it was only in the dying minutes that Toyota secured the victory as the Redmanizers lapsed into a series of errors.
From a 64-71 third-quarter deficit, the Redmanizers rallied and came to within one point, 87-88, in the last two minutes.
But unerring charities by Arnulfo Tuadles and outside shots by Fields and Emerito Legaspi stopped the uprising as an 8-2 blast gave them a safe 96-89 lead, 45 seconds left.
Toyota Coach Ed Ocampo, while giving Toyota its 58th meeting over Crispa in 122 meetings, took the victory moderately.
“I don’t think they seriously practiced for this game. They have just come from a championship and I have the edge in Andy, who doesn’t have to adjust to our plays,” Ocampo said.
Crispa mentor Tommy Manotoc echoed Ocampo’s observation.
“The rest was too short. We only had one practice prior to the game and besides Andy Fields is Andy Fields. He’s been dominating the Open since he started playing here,” Manotoc said.
He said he had inkling that they would after only eight minutes of play with the way his boys were playing.
Both teams unveiled new imports — Ralph Brewster for Toyota and Dewayne Jay Scales for Crispa.
Brewster proved to be an able backup for Fields as he scored 14 points in 16 minutes, pulled down one rebound and issued one assist.
Scales scored heavily on medium-range shots and finished with a game-high 26 points, 20 rebounds, one assist and two blocked shots.
Earlier, Great Taste Coffee routed Galerie Dominique, 127-101, to gain a share of the early lead with Toyota and idle Tanduay and San Miguel Beer.
The individual scores:
Toyota 102 — Fields 31, Tuadles 16, Brewster 14, King 12, Loyzaga 10, Coloso 5, Legaspi 5, Herrera 4, Relosa 3, Bulaong 2.
Crispa 93 — Scales 36, Bates 23, Cristobal 11, Cezar 9, Guidaben 4, Hubalde 4, Co 4, Varela 2, Villamin 0, Israel 0.
Quarterscores: 26-24, 45-43, 71-64, 102-93
Toyota 26 19 26 31 — 102
Crispa 24 19 21 29 — 93
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