1990 Pop Cola Sizzlers season

The 1990 Pop Cola Sizzlers season was the 1st season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Draft picks

Expansion pool

Off-season transactions

• Signed the five players chosen in the expansion draft along with their two rookie picks; Alejandro De Guzman and Napoleon Hatton.
• Signed rookie free agents; Joseph Pelaez, Leoncio Tan and Anthony Poblador (Put on a reserve list).
• Acquired Joey Loyzaga, chosen by Pepsi Cola in the expansion pool.
• Signed up Marte Saldaña, formerly of Presto Tivoli, and comebacking player Antero Saldaña.

Summary

RFM Corporation, which brought the Cosmos Bottling, Inc. was one of the two newcomers that joined the PBA as the league enters its 16th season. The team will be known as Pop Cola Sizzlers. Their first official game shown on TV took place in the RP-China goodwill series in the first week of February, featuring a Chinese Selection going up against PBA teams in exhibition games held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Pop Cola paraded an import named Willie Glass and lost to the powerhouse Chinese quintet, 73-93. ^[1] Glass was sent home before the season started. The Sizzlers played All-Filipino in their opening game against fellow expansion team and softdrink rival Pepsi Cola when their choice for an import, Fennis Dembo, backed out at the last minute, Pop Cola lost to the Pepsi Hotshots, 130-149. New import Alfredrick Hughes plane in for the Sizzlers' next game. Winless in five outings, Pop Cola finally scored their first victory in the pro league on March 13, beating Purefoods Hotdogs, 138-120. Their second win came against Alaska Milkmen, 118-115 on March 25. They lost their last game in the eliminations to Añejo Rum, 110-130 on April 1, for a 2-8 won-loss slate.

Pop Cola scored a surprising 131-121 win over Alaska Milkmen at the start of the All-Filipino Conference on June 10, ^[2] but dropped all their remaining nine games in the eliminations, two of which were close losses to Añejo Rum 65, 141-143 in overtime on June 21, ^[3] and 100-101 on July 6 in Cagayan de Oro. ^[4]

In the Third Conference, the team change its name from Pop Cola to Sarsi, bannered by NBA veteran Lewis Lloyd, along with Michael Anderson as their imports. The Sizzlers defeated reigning All-Filipino Champion Presto Tivolis, 141-138, in their first game on October 2. Sarsi advances into the semifinal round with a 5-win, 5-loss record, defeating Purefoods Hotdogs, 148-143 on November 6, as Lloyd and Anderson scored 59 and 56 points respectively for a combined 115-point output of the two imports. ^[5] The Sizzlers rallied to beat Alaska Milkmen, 123-120, in their second outing in the semifinals on November 13, ^[6] but were already out of contention after losing their next five games. The Sarsi Sizzlers ended the year on a high note, denying corporate rival Purefoods Hotdogs a finals seat with a 138-131 victory in their last game on December 2. ^[7]

Roster

_{Assistant Coach: Rogelio Melencio Team Manager: Elmer Yanga}

References