SLIM and none are the chances of anyone to duplicate, let alone surpass, “The Triggerman” Allan Caidic’s 79-point feat in the PBA 23 years ago.
With the relatively low-scoring games nowadays in Asia’s first professional league, it is extremely unlikely that another prolific marksman currently seeing action in the PBA is capable of shattering Caidic’s scoring record.
On November 21, 1991, Caidic shot the lights out of the Araneta Coliseum by chalking up 79 points for Tivoli (formerly Great Taste/Presto) in a 162-149 shellacking of crowd favorite Ginebra San Miguel.
The astonishing offensive wizardry established the all-time PBA single-game scoring record by a homegrown Pinoy. The unassuming left-handed hotshot that Filipino hoop fans fondly monickered “The Triggerman” for his prodigious shooting touch registered the mind-boggling feat in only his fifth PBA campaign at age 28.
Among the locals, Paul Alvarez was the only player other than Caidic to breach the 70-point barrier. Known as “Mr. Excitement,” Alvarez knocked in 71 markers for Alaska in a 169-138 win over Shell on April 26, 1990.
Caidic connected on a dozen two-point field goals, 17 three-point field goals and four free throws in his 79-point feast to set several other all-time PBA single-game records by a local player.
These are: Most points in one half, 53 (2nd half); most points in one quarter, 37 (3rd); most three-point shots made, 17; and most three-point attempts, 27.
Two years before, Caidic also tallied 68 points (nine 2FGS, 15 3FGs and five FTs) for Presto in a 175-159 overtime victory over Alaska on November 2, 1989.
Caidic, who together with Jerry Codiñera, Boycie Zamar and Godofredo Lim (the father of teen heartthrob and actor Xian Lim) helped guide the University of the East Red Warriors to their most recent UAAP championship in 1985, performed with Great Taste/Presto/Tivoli, San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra in the PBA.
During his distinguished 13-year PBA life from 1987 to 1999, the 6-foot-2 forward from Pasig City hit at a 19.6-point clip in 598 games.Caidic’s career scoring average still ranks fourth on the all-time local list behind Filipino-American Ricardo Brown (23.1 ppg), William (Bogs) Adornado (20.4) and Ernesto (Estoy) Estrada (19.7).
Caidic is one of only 13 men in PBA history to collect at least 10,000 points, with his 11,719 scores good for 10th place on the all-time scoring ladder.
With 1,242 3-pointers, Caidic is the league’s all-time leader in that department, outdistancing retired Ronald Magsanoc (1,171) and Talk ‘N Text’s Jimmy Alapag (1,161 entering the 2014-15 season).
Caidic earned PBA Rookie of the Year honors with Great Taste in 1987 and was the league’s Most Valuable Player with Presto three years later.
The 51-year-old Caidic is currently an assistant coach with Barangay Ginebra in the PBA and moonlights as one of Marco Januz (Juno) Sauler’s assistant coaches with the De La Salle Green Archers.
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