1979 PBA Invitational championship explained

Year:1979
Conference Name:Invitational championship
Duration:November 20 – December 15, 1979
Tv:MBS
Champion:Toyota Tamaraws
Runner-Up:Walk Tall Jeansmakers
Prevconf Link:1978 PBA Invitational championship
Prevconf Year:1978
Nextconf Link:1980 PBA Invitational championship
Nextconf Year:1980
Prev Conf:1979 Open
Prev Conf Link:1979 PBA Open Conference
Next Conf:1980 Open
Next Conf Link:1980 PBA Open Conference

The 1979 PBA Invitational championship was the third conference of the 1979 PBA season. It started on November 20 and ended on December 15, 1979.

Toyota Tamaraws won the Invitational crown for the third straight year, defeating arch rival Crispa Walk Tall Jeans, three games to one.

Format

The following format will be observed for the duration of the tournament:

Elimination round

width=15px bgcolor="#98fb98"Qualified for finals
Qualified for battle for third
width=15
  1. !
width=200Team standings!width=20W!width=20L!width=35PCT!width=25GB
14 1 .800 --
24 1 .800 --
33 2 .600 1
42 3 .400 2
51 4 .200 3
61 4 .200 3

Finals

Year:1979
Conference:Invitational Championship
Champion Games:3
Runnerup Games:1
Date:December 8 to 15, 1979
Next Conf:1980 Open
Prev Conf:1979 Open

The 1979 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Invitational Championship finals was the best-of-5 basketball championship series of the 1979 PBA Invitational Conference, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs. Toyota and Crispa Redmanizers played for the 25th championship contested by the league.

Toyota Tamaraws won the championship.

Series scoring summary

The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers.

align=left width=28%Teamwidth=6%Game 1width=6%Game 2width=6%Game 3width=6%Game 4width=6%Wins
Toyota101 123 107 98 3
Walk Tall129 95 102 87 1
† denotes the number of overtimesFortunato Co shot 22 points and Abet Guidaben added 10 as half of the players fielded by Crispa coach Baby Dalupan hit in double figures. Philip Cezar also starred with 18 points for the Jeansmakers, nine in the second quarter as Walk Tall took the half by 11 points, 58-47.[1] Walk Tall Jeans faced an intact Toyota lineup by virtue of a management decision to reactivate three players suspended at the start of the third conference by coach Dante Silverio. Ramon Fernandez, Abe King and Estoy Estrada reported for their first game but the Tamaraws found themselves without a coach as Dante Silverio resigned earlier in the day as both manager and coach.

Crispa played with only one import as Irvin Chatman was in sick bay. Toyota led by 10 points, 36-26 at the end of the first quarter. The Tamaraws went full steam in the second quarter and posted a 22-point lead at the half. With Andy Fields and Bruce King running rings around the lone Walk Tall Jeans import Bernard Harris, the Tamaraws upped their lead to 27 at the close of the third quarter, 94-67. Early in the fourth, Crispa coach Baby Dalupan went All-Filipino to signify he was throwing in the towel. With still 6:30 to go, Toyota held its biggest lead in the game at 37 points, 107-70. The Tamaraws outscored the Jeansmakers, 31-20, in the second quarter for a 52-42 halftime lead from which Crispa never recovered. The defending champions went on to post their biggest lead, 82-63,and then held off a rally by the Jeansmakers in the closing minutes.[2]

Robert Jaworski lobbed in seven straight points as Toyota tried to breakaway, 83-75, midway in the final quarter. The Tamaraws were up by four points when Andrew Fields capped a 9-4 binge with a towering dunkshot that took out the pressure, 94-85, with 1:54 to go.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Harris, Chatman shine as Crispa wins by 28. CrispaToyota.blogpot.com.
  2. Web site: Toyota subdues Crispa. CrispaToyota.blogspot.com.
  3. Web site: Toyota whips Crispa, retains PBA crown. CrispaToyota.blogspot.com.