The 1980 PBA All-Filipino Conference Finals was the best-of-5 basketball championship series of the 1980 PBA All-Filipino Conference, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs.
The Crispa Redmanizers won their finals series against Toyota Tamaraws, three games to one, for an incredible 20-1 record and retains the All-Filipino crown. [1]
The Redmanizers were on their way to a 20-game sweep when they led by 13 points early in the third quarter. Sonny Jaworski, the focal point in the sideline incident between Don Pablo Carlos and coach Fort Acuña, was sent in the game by acting coach Carlos as the third quarter opened and the Big J welded the team together in its final thrust and with Ramon Fernandez and Arnie Tuadles pumping in the clutch hits, the Tamaraws finally got to turn the game around. Toyota was out front for the first time in the game, 75-73, in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. After two ties and three lead changes, Crispa went up by five, 90-85. Ramon Fernandez and Abe King combined in a 10-0 run for a five-point Toyota margin, 95-90. Philip Cezar narrowed the gap but Fernandez again scored from the side for a 97-92 count. The last Crispa field goal was scored by Abet Guidaben, after which the Tamaraws ran the clock down. With 16 seconds left, the Redmanizers found itself with an opportunity to send the game into overtime, Philip Cezar committed a throw-in error and that turnover was what Toyota needed to put the game away as Crispa's winning streak was snapped.
Crispa Redmanizers led by as much as 24 points in the second quarter and weathered the last-ditch stand by Toyota in the fourth quarter to prevail before a huge crowd turnout of 25,000 at the Big Dome. The Tamaraws managed to close the gap to within four points, 77-81, as the game moved into the homestretch, a 9-2 run by the Redmanizers behind Atoy Co, Freddie Hubalde, Joy Dionisio and Philip Cezar put them in front by 11 points, 90-79. In the final wind-up, Delta Motors Executive Vice President Don Pablo Carlos, Jr, thrust in a role of acting Toyota coach, made his way to the Crispa bench and offered his hand in congratulations to Danny Floro. [2]
During halftime of Game three of the finals, the Toyota Tamaraws lost their coach, Fort Acuña, who was fired by Delta Executive Vice-President and team manager Pablo Carlos, Jr. for insubordination and not considering the team's interest to give the paying public a good game. Delta Motors President Ricardo Silverio in a statement, supported the dismissal of coach Acuña.
