Magsanoc has gone a long way

Next Week on May 15th, marks the 20th anniversary since the infamous Anejo Walkout in Game 6 of the 1990 Open Finals which gave Shell its first-ever PBA title.

Magsanoc has gone a long way
May 1990

Magsanoc, indeed has finally arrived. He has gone a long way. And all the hard work he devoted to the game is testimony to the remarkable voyage of this 5-foot-9 passer-scorer extraordinaire to the victory platform as one of the best point guards in the league today.
Although the recent championship series ended in a sorry note in Game 6 with Anejo walking out with still 2:52 in the second quarter and 24 minutes of second half action and Shell ahead, 62-47, the real value of Magsanoc was finally unveiled. It was loud and clear. Shell can’t go with Bobby Parks-Benjie Paras combination alone. It needs a Magsanoc – a Magsanoc who can do everything from scoring, passing, stealing to rebounding.
The importance of Magsanoc was clearly evident in Game 5 when the slippery Shell guard was shackled throughout the game by the tight and rugged defense of Rudy Distrito and Robert Jaworski. Distrito did the most crucial blow when he hit – many view it intentionally – Magsanoc with a closed fist in the first quarter while the Shell guard was attempting a three-point shot. The poor Shell starter went on crashing to the floor. In the end Magsanoc scored only 12 points and the Zoom Masters were badly beaten, 130-101.
There is an emerging consensus that where Magsanoc goes, so goes Shell. In Game 1 Magsanoc was the big difference when he scored 29 points including three triples, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out four assists in a brilliant game that saw the Zoom Masters nipping Anejo, 134-131.
They lost Game 2, 127-135, but this giant continued his sizzling show by norming 27 points including four triples, eight rebounds, and four assists. Magsanoc, who turned pro in 1988 and with a similar 14.8 points per game average in his first two years in the PBA, surpassing his rookie best of 32 points in Game 3 in a 156-134 rout of Anejo by scoring 34 points, including 18 points from the three-point zone. His brilliance did not end there as Magsanoc also grabbed eight rebounds and issued five assists.
In Game 4, he really exploded. This time he released seven booming triples in a career-high 36 points plus seven assists and five rebounds in a dazzling show, including a brilliant steal off Philip Cezar in overtime. Magsanoc’s incredible performance was greatly admired by Bobby Parks. “I would say Ronnie won the game for us. I don’t know what came over him in this championship series. He’s really developed into the best point guard in the league,” said Parks.
Magsanoc finished the conference with 11 points in the walkout-marred Game 6. Indeed, this small man is worth all the praises he’s now receiving. Magsanoc is a proven winner. And he is only 24 years old.

More of the 1990 Open Finals
Inside Score
Article written by: Noel Novicio

Rudy Distrito, the Anejo guard nicknamed "The destroyer", indeed is living up to his monicker.
In Game 5 of the walkout-marred championship series, he virtually "destroyed" the momentum of Ronnie Magsanoc right in the first quarter of the game.
With 2:05 left in the first quarter and Anejo leading 27-23 after two baskets by Peter Aguilar and Distrito himself, the 5-11 Anejo banger from Bacolod City smacked the 5-foot-9 Shell human dynamo who was then attempting three-pointer near the press row with a hard closed fist which sent Magsanoc crashing to the floor and was evidently bothered by the hard tackles throughout the game.
Distrito was called for a deliberate foul and was only warned. That's all. For an offense like that which certainly endangered the health of th eplayer hit and which should have also merited a stiffer penalty. Distrito should have been thrown out of the game. That was pretty dangerous but the penalty was a mere warning.
As we know, Magsanoc eventually finished with 12 points but not after escaping a shackling defense employed by Anejo against him.
Arnie Tuadles, probably provoked by what happened to Magsanoc, also committed a dangerous foul off a driving Chito Loyzaga in the second quarter. Because the referees called a mere warning to Distrito, they had no choice but to call the same even though Loyzaga's left eye was swollen. Distrito and Tuadles were eventually fined P3,000 each. Like Distrito's, Tuadles' act likewise has no place in the PBA.
Anejo won Game 5 and Jaworski was quick to say "we defended well on Magsanoc."
Yes, Distrito is a vital cog to Anejo. But in Game 6 where a riot nearly ensued, Distrito was at it again. After Rey Cuenco was ejected from the game because of two technical fouls, Pasig Mayor Mario Raymundo even saw Distrito inciting fans to pelt the referees with debris. Because of this unprofessional act, Raymundo personally ordered the Pasig security force to take Distrito for questioning.
The 32-year-old Distrito, who started his pro-career in 1981 with the famed Crispa Redmanizers, is now on his 10th season. But after nine years in the league with a respectable 10.3 points per game lifetime average, Distrito has not grown older as far as the true meaning of basketball is concern.
As long as there are Distrito's who want to "destroy" many Magsanocs, the PBA might just become the home for dirty physical tactics on a basketball court.