1976 Toyota Tamaraws season

1976 Toyota Tamaraws season
Head coachDante Silverio
Owner(s)Delta Motor Corporation
First Conference results
Record20–6
(76.9%)
Place2nd
Playoff finishFinals
Second Conference results
Record20–6
(76.9%)
Place2nd
Playoff finishFinals
All-Philippine Championship results
Record6–3
(66.7%)
Place2nd
Playoff finishFinals
Toyota Tamaraws seasons
← 1975
1977 →

The 1976 Toyota Tamaraws season was the second season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Names and colors

Toyota Comets (First and Second conferences)
      (dark)
      (light)

Toyota Silver Tamaraws (All-Philippine Championship)
      (dark)
      (light)

NOTE: Toyota changed their monicker from the Comets to the Silver Tamaraws during the 1976 PBA Second Conference finals, but would still wear the Comets uniform used during the first and second conferences of the 1976 season.

Off-season transactions

TRANSACTIONS
Gil Cortez Rookie; former national team mainstay
Rollie Marcelo Acquired from Royal Tru-Orange
Elias Tolentino Rookie; acquired from Yco Painters in the MICAA

Finals stint

Toyota placed runner-up to Crispa in all three contested championships for the season. In the first conference finals, the Comets won the series opener but were beaten three straight by the Redmanizers.

Main article: 1976 PBA First Conference finals

In the second conference, Crispa and Toyota meet again in the final series. The Redmanizers took the first two games but the Silver Tamaraws avoided a sweep by taking the third game. Two nights later on November 18, Crispa clinch its third straight crown with a 3-1 series victory.

Main article: 1976 PBA Second Conference finals

In the All-Philippine championship, Toyota led the series, two games to none, but Crispa came back and win the final three games to capture the league's first Grandslam as the Tamaraws ended up bridesmaid for the third time in the year and had lost to their archrivals in the last four conferences.

Main article: 1976 PBA All-Philippine Championship

Roster

Roster # Position Height
Rolando Marcelo 6 Forward-Guard 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Robert Jaworski 7 Guard 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Francis Arnaiz 8 Guard 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Orlando Bauzon 9 Guard 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Ramon Fernandez 10 Center 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Rodolfo Segura 15 Forward 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Virgilio Cortez 16 Center-Forward 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Fort Acuña 17 Forward 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Elias Tolentino 21 Center-Forward 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Joaquín Rojas 22 Guard 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Aurelio Clariño 23 Center 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Byron Jones Import 33 Center 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Howard Smith Import 35 Forward 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)

References