The 1981 Tefilin Polyesters season was the 2nd and last season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Contents
Summary
Open Conference: Tefilin paraded former Royal Tru-Orange import Larry Pounds and Ira Terrell, who was also the Polyesters' import last season, as their reinforcements. Tefilin were tied with CDCP at 10 wins and 8 losses after 18 games in the eliminations. Both teams missed out a semifinal berth and were two games behind the fourth qualifier; Toyota Super Diesels.
Reinforced Filipino Conference: The Polyesters signed up Norman Black, who played for the Detroit Pistons in the Southern California Summer Pro league, as their import. Black led the Polyesters to advance into the next round for the first time in four conferences. Tefilin enters the six-team quarterfinal phase by downing San Miguel Beermen, 113–97, on the last day of the elimination round on October 10. The Polyesters dropped all their five matches in the round of six.
Scoring record
Norman Black poured in 71 points in Tefilin's 129-141 loss to Crispa during their quarterfinal game on October 27. Black's 71-point total was four points shy of the 75 points made by CDCP's Ronald McCoy in this same conference just a month before on September 26. Norman Black's total output was the fourth all-time best scoring record behind the 75 points jointly shared by Ronald McCoy and Harry Rogers of 7-Up in 1976, the 74 points made by Yco-Tanduay's Russell Murray, also in this same conference and the 73 points set by Carl Bird of Royal Tru-Orange in 1976.