Game 103: Toyota 103, Crispa 97 (July 25, 1981)

Toyota finally defeated Crispa in the deciding fifth game of a championship series to rule the 1981 PBA Open Conference.

Toyota beats Crispa, 103-97, wins PBA title

By Philip Evardone

Bulletin Today

Published Sunday July 26, 1981

Ramon Fernandez and Andrew Fields each scored three points in the dying seconds last night as Toyota finally ended a long, frustrating search for the PBA Open Conference crown with a suspenseful 103-97 win over arch-rival Crispa before a sweltering crowd of some 30,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Fernandez and Fields’ point shattered a 97-all tie forged by Philip Cezar with three minutes and 16 seconds left and gave the Super Diesels their seventh PBA championship.

The 6’4’’ Fernandez jumped off Cezar, 99-97, then cooly sank a free throw on a technical foul slapped on Crispa’s Fortunato Co, Jr., before Fields scored the insurance points on a three-point play off James Hardy, 1:29 remaining.

With still seconds to go, the overflow crowd started to spill into the court and threatened to disrupt the game.

No big 20 but it's Crispa on top at the wind up (Dec. 19-26, 1980)

Vic Villafranca of the Sports Weekly Magazine with his take on the Crispa's victory in the 1980 PBA All-Filipino Conference championship series also marred by Toyota management's firing of coach Fort Acuna.

No big 20 but it's Crispa on top at the wind up

ON THE LINE 

By Vic Villafranca

Sports Weekly Magazine 

Dec 19-26, 1980

Nine-thirty Thursday evening, December 11 was supposed to have been the time when the clock was to toll midnight for the Crispa Redmanizers in their mind-blowing bid to win their fourth PBA All-Filipino championship on the wings of an unprecendented 20-game sweep.

But in the night of shocks, both on the hardcourt and away from it, the Redmanizers saw their awesome winning streak snapped at 19 by the Toyota ballclub that lost its coach, Fort Acuna, at halftime only to make up for that loss with a resurgence in its old fighting heart to win, 97 to 94, and send the best of five playoffs to Game 4.

Column: 8th title for Redmanizers (Dec. 15, 1980)

Bulletin Today sports editor Lito Fernandez with a look back at the 1980 PBA season that ended with Crispa’s triumph in the All-Filipino Conference.

8th title for Redmanizers

NEUTRAL CORNER
By Lito P. Fernandez

Bulletin Today

Published Sunday Dec. 15, 1980

By winning the 1980 Philippine Basketball Association All-Filipino title, the Crispa Redmanizers took their eighth PBA crown, increasing their overall lead to two over the Toyota Tamaraws who have won six PBA championships.

Only three other teams, including one foreign squad, have won titles in the country’s play-for-pay loop, which started in 1975 and has held 18 conferences since.

Game 94: Crispa 105, Toyota 91 (Dec. 13, 1980)

Crispa delivered the knockout blow on Toyota to win the 1980 PBA All-Filipino Conference crown after winning their best-of-five finals series, 3-1.

Crispa beats Toyota, bags All-Filipino title

By Bert Eljera

Bulletin Today

Published Sunday Dec. 14, 1980

Crispa cast off the frustration of not completing a 20-game sweep last night and played with vengeful fury to knock out Toyota, 105-91, and to capture its fourth Philippine Basketball Association All-Filipino championship before some 25,000 fans at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Redmanizers tried to blow the Tamaraws off the court with a 24-point lead and then fought off the spectre of defeat that struck them in the third game of the best-of-five title series to win pulling away.

Game 80: Toyota 98, Walk Tall 87 (Dec. 15, 1979)

Toyota finished off Crispa Walk Tall in four games, capping off the 1979 PBA campaign by winning the third conference championship for the third straight year.

Toyota whips Crispa, retains PBA crown

By Bert Eljera

Bulletin Today

Published Sunday Dec. 16, 1979

Toyota captured the third conference crown of the Philippine Basketball Association for the third straight year last night with a masterful 98-87 conquest of Crispa Walk Tall before some 20,000 fans at the Araneta Coliseum.

It was a classic display of speedness that the Tamaraws dished out as they never wavered in their play from both sides of the court to reassert their supremacy in the conference they won for the first time in 1977.

Toyota outclassed Walk Tall in the match-ups of imports vs. imports and locals vs. locals, although the Tamaraws had to rely on a strong finishing kick to finally turn back the rallying Jeansmakers.

Game 71: Crispa 118, Toyota 111 (July 7, 1979)

Crispa saw its main weapons along with the unlikely lift from Bogs Adornado to beat Toyota in the deciding fifth game and capture the 1979 PBA All-Filipino title. It was the Redmanizers’ first championship in four conferences.

Crispa beats Toyota, wins All-Filipino title

By Bert Eljera

Bulletin Today

Published Sunday July 8, 1979

Crispa ended the frustrations of over a year as a non-winner last night with a stunning 118-111 conquest of bitter rival Toyota to capture the All-Filipino conference of the Philippine Basketball Association before a sell-out crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.

It was a classic display of the Crispa of old as the Redmanizers, for once flaunting the might of their big bench, outsteadied the Tamaraws in a pulse-stopping finish that rightfully served as the climax of a savagely fought best-of-five championship series.

Team of the Year: Whose else? (Dec. 25-31, 1976)

Legendary announcer Dick Ildefonso broke down Crispa's comeback victory over Toyota in the finals of the 1976 PBA All-Philippine Championship in a column for Sports World Magazine.

TEAM OF THE YEAR: WHOSE ELSE?

Here's Dick

By Dick Ildefonso

Sports World

Published Dec. 25-31, 1976

The Crispa charisma triumphed over Toyota tenacity in a year-end showdown which turned out to be an anti-climactic letdown after such a classic build-up as both quintets stretch the best-of-five championship series to the limit.

The Redmanizers, in the same fashion that marked their march to three conference titles, again started their bid somewhat doubtfully by dropping two important qualifying round matches to Noritake and Toyota respectively which forced them into a sudden-death play-off with the Porcelain-Makers before their championship confrontation with the Tamaraws.

It appeared to be a short-lived series as the tough Toyotans romped off with back-to-back victories to post an awesome 2-0 advantage which again placed the Crispans with their backs against the wall.

Atoy Co - PBA's MVP (Dec. 23, 1976)

Bulletin Today sports editor Lito Fernandez paid homage to Atoy Co's MVP-like performance in the 1976 PBA All-Philippine Championship that completed Crispa's grand slam.

Atoy Co – PBA's MVP

THE NEUTRAL CORNER

By Lito Fernandez

Bulletin Today

Published Thursday December 23, 1976

Last year, Fortunato Co, Jr. and girl friend Alona Alegre attended the All-Filipino Sports Awards (AFSA) ceremonies at the Folk Arts Theater, knowing full well that Atoy would not win the basketball award. But they were there, the sweet, lovable duo and Atoy applauded when Toyota's Francis Arnaiz received the award.

This year, Atoy and Alona are expected to be there again and this time, chances are Atoy won't just be a spectator. Judging from his performance this year, especially in the just-concluded All-Philippine championship, Atoy is a cinch for the “Mr. Basketball” title.

In the best-of-five series that ended the other night, Atoy knocked in a total of 159 points for a sizzling average of 31.80 points per game – tops in the series. He was at his best in the decisive fifth game which saw him function like a one-man wrecking crew, shooting a game-high 39 points to break the backs of the Tamaraws.

Game 43: Crispa 110, Toyota 92 (Dec. 21, 1976)

Atoy Co capped off his offensive brilliance with 39 points as Crispa completed its 0-2 comeback against Toyota in the 1976 All-Philippine championship and pull off PBA's first grand slam.

Crispa tops Toyota, wins grand slam

Co unloads 39 to spark Redmanizers' 110-92 win

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Wednesday December 22, 1976

Crispa's never-say-die Redmanizers added another first in their glorious history last night as they destroyed Toyota with compelling ease, 110-92, to win the All-Philippine championship and complete a sweep of all Philippine Basketball Association titles this year.

Crispa's victory, their third straight in the best-of-five series, climaxed a long, excruciating climb by the Redmanizers who, aside from scoring the PBA's first grand slam, also became the first team in the two-year-old league to win a title coming from two games down.

A dazzling offensive complemented by a crippling, swarming defense gave the Redmanizers the edge all evening as both teams were initially hampered by the tremendous pressure of the match, missing easy shots and committing ghastly errors in alarming succession to the surprise of some 25,000 spectators at the Araneta Coliseum.

How Crispa did it (Nov. 20, 1976)

Not even the warning signs of a fortune teller and an injury to Bogs Adornado hampered the Crispa Redmanizers' march to the 1976 PBA Second Conference crown.

How Crispa did it

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Saturday November 20, 1976

The omen was bad in Crispa's bid for its third straight Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) championship.

Team manager Danny Floro, whose consultations with fortune tellers and some other not-so-divine characters prior to each championship series carry the weight of grim finality, was shaking his head after emerging in one such session during his team's sojourn in Cebu two weeks ago in the PBA semifinals.

“Wala, hindi raw kami magtsa-tsampyon,” he said with grief written in his face. According to Floro, the fortune teller, obviously with a Visayan accent, had warned him that some of his players would be out to sabotage his bid for a third straight crown.

Game 37: Crispa 103, Toyota 94 (Nov. 18, 1976)

Crispa delivered the knockout blow on Toyota to capture the 1976 PBA Second Conference crown. The 3-1 series victory gave the Redmanizers their third consecutive crown, all at the expense of the Silver Tamaraws.

Crispa beats Toyota, 103-94; wins PBA title

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Friday November 19, 1976

Crispa played its characteristic deadly game last night and brought down Toyota, 103-94, to win the Philippine Basketball Association second conference championship before another banner crowd of some 30,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Redmanizers, brought to this fourth game of a best-of-five titular series with Toyota by virtue of the Silver Tamaraws' 108-98 victory Tuesday night, controlled the game after erasing an early 1-6 deficit.

There was no fire it seemed from the Silver Tamaraws whose comeback from a 0-2 deficit had placed them on even odds with the Redmanizers for this decisive fourth game.

All that mattered for Crispa was to win (July 13, 1976)

The Daily Express broke down Crispa's title victory over Toyota in the 1976 PBA All-Filipino Conference finals in what became a turning point in the classic duel between the two archrivals.

All that mattered for Crispa was to win

By Ernesto Gonzales

Philippines Daily Express

Published Tuesday July 13, 1976

IN THE FABLED Crispa-Toyota rivalry, dyed-in-the-wool Crispans will never forget the last 12 minutes of Sunday's classic.

It was the stretch the Redmanizers almost bungled a 19-point lead that could have changed the fortunes of the series.

Coach Baby Dalupan just about summed up the Redmanizers' last-quarter plight: “With an almost insurmountable lead, the idea of a crown conquest danced in their heads. Their concentration was distracted. And when Toyota mounted a rally, they panicked.”

It was not really an ideal way to clinch a championship match. But this was a victory against Toyota and no matter how the final game was decided, Crispa's title march was nothing short of spectacular.

Game 29: Crispa 101, Toyota 100 (July 11, 1976)

Crispa survived a last-ditch comeback by Toyota to clinch the 1976 PBA All-Filipino Conference crown with a 3-1 series victory. It was the Redmanizers' second straight title to tie the Comets, who captured the first two championships of the pro league. Toyota almost forced overtime but Ramon Fernandez missed one of his two free throws in the dying seconds.

Crispa nips Toyota, 101-100, wins crown

Philippines Daily Express
Published Monday July 12, 1976

Crispa blew an 18-point lead and had to scramble in the final quarter to eke out a pulsating 101-100 victory over Toyota and capture the All-Filipino Conference title of the Philippine Basketball Association last night.

Ramon Fernandez, who struck from under for 101-99 after William Adornado had given Crispa a 101-97 spread in the last 35 seconds, had the equalizer in his hand when he was fouled in the last eight seconds by Bernard Fabiosa.

But Fernandez missed the first throw as Toyota fans in the crowd of 32,000 let out a cry of dismay. That was it. He sank the second one, but Crispa dribbled away the remaining seconds for the victory that left many limp with excitement.

Game 8: Toyota 117, Crispa 94 (July 31, 1975)

Toyota became the PBA's first champion after a convincing victory over Crispa in Game 4 of the 1975 First Conference finals. A 29-point performance by Ompong Segura and another strong showing by Byron "Snake" Jones allowed the Comets to win the best-of-five series, 3-1.

Toyota drubs Crispa, wins PBA crown

By Ding Marcelo
Bulletin Today
Published Friday August 1, 1975

Toyota, working like a mechanical monster of destruction, blasted Crispa mercilessly last night, 117-94, to win the Philippine Basketball Association first conference championship before a crowd of some 30,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Playing their usual swarming, sticky defense, and gifted with an unusual high percentage in their offense, the Comets ran down the Redmanizers who battled grimly but folded uncharacteristically when Toyota unleashed a crippling attack in the third quarter.

Not since Crispa became a first rate team in the old MICAA in the late 60s had it been beaten so convincingly and by such a margin in a championship game. So complete, in fact, was the rout, that the trauma of the loss could haunt Crispa for some time to come.