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.
