The 2018–19 MPBL season, also known as the MPBL Datu Cup, was the second season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. The regular season began on June 12, 2018 with the opening ceremonies Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, and ended on March 11, 2019. The league also held its first ever All-Star Game at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on March 2, 2019. The playoffs then began on March 12, 2019 and ended on April 25, 2019 when the San Juan Knights defeated the Davao Occidental Tigers in five games in the 2019 MPBL finals.
2018–19 MPBL season | |
---|---|
League | Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League |
Sport | Basketball |
Duration | Regular season: June 12, 2018 – March 11, 2019 Playoffs: March 12 – April 8, 2019 Finals: April 11–25, 2019 |
Number of games | 364 (regular season) |
Number of teams | 26 |
TV partner(s) | S+A Fox Sports[1] |
Regular season | |
Top seed | Bataan Risers |
Season MVP | Gab Banal (Bacoor City) |
Playoffs | |
North Division champions | San Juan Knights |
North Division runners-up | Manila Stars |
South Division champions | Davao Occidental Tigers |
South Division runners-up | Batangas City Athletics |
Finals | |
Champions | San Juan Knights |
Runners-up | Davao Occidental Tigers |
Finals MVP | Mike Ayonayon (San Juan) |
This season saw sixteen expansion teams, nearly tripling its size from 10 to 26 teams. It also marked the league's national expansion, with five of those teams coming from Visayas and Mindanao. This resulted in the league dividing into the North and South Divisions, although this only affected playoff seeding and not the overall format of the season, with the playoffs itself expanding to sixteen teams, eight per division.
Teams
editExpansion
editAfter a successful inaugural season, sixteen teams joined the league, its biggest expansion to date, bringing the a total of 26 teams. Metro Manila is the region with the most expansion teams at seven, those being the Makati Skyscrapers, Mandaluyong El Tigre, Manila Stars, Marikina Shoemasters, Pasay Voyagers, Pasig Pirates, and San Juan Knights. The Pampanga Lanterns joined from Central Luzon while the Bacoor City Strikers, Laguna Heroes, and Rizal Golden Coolers, joined from Calabarzon.
As part of the league's national expansion, the five remaining expansion teams came from either Visayas or Mindanao. The Cebu City Sharks from Central Visayas are the only expansion team from Visayas. The four teams from Mindanao are the Zamboanga Valientes representing the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Davao Occidental Tigers from the Davao Region, the GenSan Warriors from Soccsksargen, and the Basilan Steel from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (which later became Bangsamoro).
Mid-season, the MPBL side of the Zamboanga Valientes was relaunched and became the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines following undisclosed management issues.
Introduction of divisions
editDue to the much bigger size of the league, divisions were introduced to divide the teams into the North and South Divisions. Teams still play a single round-robin tournament as part of the regular season, but the playoff format was changed to accommodate the new divisions. The top eight teams from each division would advance to an expanded playoff tournament. Similar to the National Basketball Association (NBA), the champions from each division would face once another in what is dubbed the "national finals".
Arenas
editExpansion team | |
New arena |
Name changes
edit- The Bataan Defenders changed its name to Bataan Risers before the start of the season.
- The Makati Skyscrapers changed their team name to Makati Super Crunch in November 2018.
- The Valenzuela Classic its team name to Valenzuela Idol Cheesedogs in July 2018, but was later reverted back in November 2018.
- The Zamboanga Valientes changed its team name to Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines in 2019.
Coaching changes
editOff-season | ||
---|---|---|
Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach |
Bulacan Kuyas | Chris Baluyot | Britt Reroma |
Navotas Clutch | Elvis Tolentino | Richie Ticzon |
Parañaque Patriots | Aric del Rosario | Eric Samson |
Mid-season | ||
Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach |
Basilan Steel | Joseph Romarate | Jerson Cabiltes |
Cebu City Sharks | Gilbert Castillo | Norberto Manalili |
Imus Bandera | Jerry Codiñera Mike Orquillas |
Mike Orquillas Noynoy Falcasantos |
Laguna Heroes | Alex Angeles | Nath Gregorio |
Mandaluyong El Tigre | Mac Cuan | Arlene Rodriguez |
Muntinlupa Cagers | Aldrin Morante Aldin Ayo |
Aldin Ayo Jack Azcueta |
Navotas Clutch | Richie Ticzon | Gabby Severino |
Pampanga Lanterns | Isaiah Duenas | Aldrin Morante |
Bacoor Strikers | Budds Reyes | Leo Isaac |
Pasig Pirates | James Machate | Ronjay Enrile |
Parañaque Patriots | Eric Samson Richie Melencio |
Richie Melencio Monel Kallos |
Valenzuela Classic | Chris Gavina Eric Samson |
Eric Samson Juven Formacil |
Zamboanga Valientes | Ednie Morones | Raymund Valenzona |
Roster regulation changes
editTo ensure that the league remains balanced, a new rule was added so that teams were limited to only one Filipino-foreigner per roster, that player must also not be taller than 6'4" (193 cm). The player is classified as Filipino-foreigner if the player is a Filipino of foreign descent, regardless of being a Philippine passport holder. The new rule, however, caused some criticism from fans and players alike.[2][3]
Regular season
editFormat
editThe 26 teams played in a single round-robin format, playing one game against all other teams in the league for a total of 25 games. In each gameday, a series of games is played in a designated home arena, with the home team usually playing in the final game.
The playoffs were expanded from eight teams to sixteen teams in this season. The top eight teams in each division advanced to a four-round, single-elimination playoffs, playing in best-of-three series in the first three rounds, and a best-of-five series in the national finals, with homecourt advantage alternating between the higher seeds of each series in the first two rounds.
Standings
editNorth Division
editPos | Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | GB | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bataan Risers | 25 | 23 | 2 | .920 | — | Playoffs |
2 | Makati Super Crunch | 25 | 21 | 4 | .840 | 2 | |
3 | San Juan Knights | 25 | 20 | 5 | .800[a] | 3 | |
4 | Manila Stars | 25 | 20 | 5 | .800[a] | 3 | |
5 | Bulacan Kuyas | 25 | 14 | 11 | .560 | 9 | |
6 | Navotas Clutch | 25 | 12 | 13 | .480[b] | 11 | |
7 | Quezon City Capitals | 25 | 12 | 13 | .480[b] | 11 | |
8 | Caloocan Supremos | 25 | 11 | 14 | .440[c] | 12 | |
9 | Pampanga Lanterns | 25 | 11 | 14 | .440[c] | 12 | |
10 | Valenzuela Classic | 25 | 10 | 15 | .400 | 13 | |
11 | Mandaluyong El Tigre | 25 | 8 | 17 | .320[d] | 15 | |
12 | Pasay Voyagers | 25 | 8 | 17 | .320[d] | 15 | |
13 | Pasig Pirates | 25 | 4 | 21 | .160 | 19 |
Rules for classification: 1) Wins; 2a) If two teams are tied, head-to-head match-up; 2b) If three or more teams are tied, head-to-head point quotient; 3) overall point quotient; 4) coin toss.
Notes:
South Division
editPos | Team | Pld | W | L | PCT | GB | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Davao Occidental Tigers | 25 | 20 | 5 | .800 | — | Playoffs |
2 | Batangas City Athletics | 25 | 15 | 10 | .600[a] | 5 | |
3 | Muntinlupa Cagers | 25 | 15 | 10 | .600[a] | 5 | |
4 | GenSan Warriors | 25 | 14 | 11 | .560 | 6 | |
5 | Bacoor City Strikers | 25 | 13 | 12 | .520 | 7 | |
6 | Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | 25 | 12 | 13 | .480 | 8 | |
7 | Imus Bandera | 25 | 11 | 14 | .440[b] | 9 | |
8 | Cebu City Sharks | 25 | 11 | 14 | .440[b] | 9 | |
9 | Laguna Heroes | 25 | 10 | 15 | .400 | 10 | |
10 | Parañaque Patriots | 25 | 8 | 17 | .320[c] | 12 | |
11 | Marikina Shoemasters | 25 | 8 | 17 | .320[c] | 12 | |
12 | Basilan Steel | 25 | 7 | 18 | .280[d] | 13 | |
13 | Rizal Crusaders | 25 | 7 | 18 | .280[d] | 13 |
Rules for classification: 1) Wins; 2a) If two teams are tied, head-to-head match-up; 2b) If three or more teams are tied, head-to-head point quotient; 3) overall point quotient; 4) coin toss.
Notes:
Results
editNot all games are in home–away format. Each team plays every team once. Number of asterisks after each score denotes number of overtimes played.
Playoffs
editTeams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its division, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.
Division quarterfinals (best-of-3) | Division semifinals (best-of-3) | Division finals (best-of-3) | National finals (best-of-5) | ||||||||||||||||
N1 | Bataan | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
N8 | Caloocan | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
N1 | Bataan | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
N4 | Manila | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
N4 | Manila | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
N5 | Bulacan | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
N4 | Manila | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
North Division | |||||||||||||||||||
N3 | San Juan | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
N2 | Makati | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
N7 | Quezon City | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
N7 | Quezon City | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
N3 | San Juan | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
N3 | San Juan | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
N6 | Navotas | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
N3 | San Juan | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
S1 | Davao Occidental | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
S1 | Davao Occidental | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
S8 | Cebu City | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
S1 | Davao Occidental | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
S5 | Bacoor City | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
S4 | General Santos | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
S5 | Bacoor City | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
S1 | Davao Occidental | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
South Division | |||||||||||||||||||
S2 | Batangas City | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
S2 | Batangas City | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
S7 | Imus | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
S2 | Batangas City | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
S6 | Zamboanga | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
S3 | Muntinlupa | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
S6 | Zamboanga | 2 |
First round
editIn the first round, the first- and second-seeded teams host games 1 and 3 of its respective division, while the third- and fourth-seeded teams host game 2.
North Division first round
editTeam 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1) Bataan Risers | 2–0 | (8) Caloocan Supremos | 91–71 | 83–71 | — |
(2) Makati Super Crunch | 0–2 | (7) Quezon City Capitals | 77–88 | 74–77 | — |
(3) San Juan Knights | 2–0 | (6) Navotas Clutch | 81–76 | 75–69 | — |
(4) Manila Stars | 2–0 | (5) Bulacan Kuyas | 69–65 | 92–83 | — |
South Division first round
editTeam 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1) Davao Occidental Tigers | 2–0 | (8) Cebu City Sharks | 82–67 | 76–69 | — |
(2) Batangas City Athletics | 2–1 | (7) Imus Bandera | 77–69 | 69–75 | 92–65 |
(3) Muntinlupa Cagers | 1–2 | (6) Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | 89–78 | 73–84 | 83–87 |
(4) General Santos Warriors | 0–2 | (5) Bacoor Strikers | 80–90 | 78–92 | — |
Division semifinals
editIn the Division Semifinals, the highest seeded team hosts games 1 and 3, while the second-highest seeded team hosts game 2.
North Division semifinals
editTeam 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1) Bataan Risers | 1–2 | (4) Manila Stars | 73–72 | 76–80 | 51-56 |
(3) San Juan Knights | 2–0 | (7) Quezon City Capitals | 94–86 | 106–81 | — |
South Division semifinals
editDue to Davao Occidental advancing after game 2, Batangas City instead hosted game 3.
Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1) Davao Occidental Tigers | 2–0 | (5) Bacoor Strikers | 79–71 | 87–67 | — |
(2) Batangas City Athletics | 2–1 | (6) Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | 58–72 | 67–57 | 80–72 |
Division finals
editIn the Division Finals, the higher-seeded team hosts games 1 and 3 in its respective division, while the lower-seeded team hosts game 2.
North Division finals
editTeam 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(3) San Juan Knights | 2–1 | (4) Manila Stars | 88–91 | 92–90 | 83–74 |
South Division finals
editTeam 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1) Davao Occidental Tigers | 2–1 | (2) Batangas City Athletics | 66–48 | 74–76 | 66–51 |
MPBL finals
editIn the MPBL finals, the higher-seeded team hosts games 1, 2, and 5, while the lower-seeded team hosts games 3 and 4.
Both teams finished the season 20–5, but the Davao Occidental Tigers held the homecourt advantage for the finals, as they have defeated San Juan in their regular season matchup, but the San Juan Knights eventually won the championship in 5 games.
Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(S1) Davao Occidental Tigers | 2–3 | (N3) San Juan Knights | 74–84 | 67–60 | 62–67 | 77–66 | 86–87 |
All-Star Game
edit
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| |||||||||||||||||||
Date | March 2, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Venue | SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay | ||||||||||||||||||
MVP | Jeff Viernes | ||||||||||||||||||
The 2019 MPBL All-Star Game was an exhibition game played on March 2, 2019. It was the inaugural edition of the MPBL All-Star Game, which took place at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
The South Division prevailed over the North Division with a score of 109–84. Jeff Viernes was declared the All-Star Game MVP.[5]
Lineups
editGame
editMarch 2, 2019
|
North All-Stars | 84–109 | South All-Stars |
Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 23–20, 20–38, 20–30 | ||
Pts: Chris Bitoon 11 | Pts: Jeff Viernes 19 |
Pre-game events
editBefore the game itself, multiple pre-game events were held. These include the Executives' Game, 2-Ball Challenge, Three-Point Shootout, and Slam Dunk Competition. The champions of these events are as follows:
- Executives' Game Champions: North Division Executives
- 2-Ball Challenge Champions: Pamboy Raymundo and Byron Villarias (Bataan Risers)
- Three-Point Shootout Champion: Gary David (Bataan Risers)
- Slam Dunk Competition Champion: David Carlos (Makati Super Crunch)
Statistics
editIndividual statistic leaders
editCategory | Player | Team | Statistic |
---|---|---|---|
Points per game | Almond Vosotros | Caloocan Supremos | 20.33 |
Total Rebounds per game | JR Taganas | Bulacan Kuyas | 12.64 |
Assists per game | Paolo Hubalde | Valenzuela Classic | 8.48 |
Steals per game | Paolo Hubalde | Valenzuela Classic | 2.8 |
Blocks per game | Aris Dionisio | Manila Stars | 2.17 |
Turnovers per game | Bonbon Custodio | Davao Occidental Tigers | 4.4 |
Fouls per game | Chad Alonzo | Bacoor City Strikers | 3.57 |
Minutes per game | Paolo Castro | Parañaque Patriots | 33.58 |
FG% | Art Patrick Aquino | San Juan Knights | 59.0% |
FT% | Eric Dela Cuesta | Rizal Crusaders | 91.0% |
3FG% | Nico Abatayo | Batangas City Athletics | 67.0% |
Double-doubles | Harold Miguel Arboleda | Parañaque Patriots | 7 |
Triple-doubles | Gab Banal | Bacoor Strikers | 3 |
Individual game highs
editCategory | Player | Team | Statistic |
---|---|---|---|
Points | Leomer Losentes | GenSan Warriors | 41 |
Rebounds | JR Taganas | Bulacan Kuyas | 26 |
Assists | Allan Mangahas | Muntinlupa Cagers | 17 |
Steals | Warren Ybanez | Marikina Shoemasters | 8 |
Blocks | Eduardo Doroteo | Pasig Pirates | 7 |
Three-pointers | Yves Sazon | Marikina Shoemasters | 7 |
Awards
editIndividual season awards
editMost of the league's individual awards made their debut this season, which were given out before game 4 of the 2019 national finals at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.[6][7] The Finals Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year were given out at the conclusion of the series.[8]
Award | Recipient | Team |
---|---|---|
Most Valuable Player | Gab Banal | Bacoor City Strikers |
Finals Most Valuable Player | Mike Ayonayon | San Juan Knights |
Defensive Player of the Year | Aris Dionisio | Manila Stars |
Coach of the Year | Randy Alcantara | San Juan Knights |
Executive of the Year | Oscar Malapitan | Caloocan Supremos |
Sportsmanship award | Jay-R Taganas | Bulacan Kuyas |
All-MPBL teams
editThis was the first season in which the league honored its best players with All-MPBL Teams.
|
|
Players of the Week
editAlongside the multitude of new awards, the league also began honoring its best players for each week of the regular season.
Week | Player | Ref. |
---|---|---|
June 12−16, 2018 | Reed Juntilla (Zamboanga Valientes) | [9] |
June 19−23, 2018 | Christopher Sumalinog (Bacoor City Strikers) | [10] |
June 26–30, 2018 | Jai Reyes (Laguna Heroes) | [11] |
July 3–6, 2018 | Bobby Ray Parks Jr. (Mandaluyong El Tigre) | |
July 10–12, 2018 | Mar Villahermosa (Caloocan Supremos) | |
July 16–21, 2018 | Michael Juico (Pampanga Lanterns) | |
July 31 – August 4, 2018 | Mikee Reyes (Bacoor City Strikers) | |
August 7–11, 2018 | Reed Juntilla (Zamboanga Valientes) | |
August 14–16, 2018 | Gab Banal (Bacoor City Strikers) | |
August 21–25, 2018 | Allan Mangahas (Muntinlupa Cagers) | |
August 28 – September 1, 2018 | Billy Ray Robles (Davao Occidental Tigers) | |
September 4–8, 2018 | Allan Mangahas (Muntinlupa Cagers) | |
September 11–13, 2018 | Aris Dionisio (Manila Stars) | |
September 19–23, 2018 | Mark Yee (Davao Occidental Tigers) | |
September 25–29, 2018 | Mark Yee (Davao Occidental Tigers) | |
October 2–6, 2018 | Gab Banal (Bacoor City Strikers) | |
October 9–13, 2018 | Jan Jamon (Pasay Voyagers) | [12] |
October 16–20, 2018 | Bobby Balucanag (Pasay Voyagers) | [13] |
October 22–27, 2018 | Paulo Hubalde (Valenzuela Idol Cheesedogs) | |
October 30 – November 3, 2018 | Jeff Viernes (Batangas City Athletics) | |
January 3–5, 2019 | Renato Ular (Marikina Shoemasters) | |
January 7–12, 2019 | Mac Cardona (San Juan Knights) | |
February 11–16, 2019 | Mark Andaya (Pasig Pirates) |
Notable events
editEvents
edit- March 11, 2019 – The Bacoor City–Parañaque replay was forfeited in Bacoor City's favor, marking the first time in which a game was forfeited in any manner.
Media
editThis season marked the second of three years of ABS-CBN's broadcasting rights of the league, as games were aired on S+A channel. In addition, Fox Sports Philippines started broadcasting games this season. The league also began streaming all of its games on its official Facebook page.
References
edit- ^ Joble, Rey (October 18, 2018). "FOX Sports to air monday MPBL games starting November 5". Fox Sports Philippines. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ "MPBL takes a hit for 'racist' rule limiting teams to only one Fil-foreign player". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "Tratter: MPBL rule on Fil-foreigners taking away opportunity from players". ESPN.com. May 17, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Joble, Rey (March 11, 2019). "Bacoor secures No.5 seat in south after winning via forfeiture over Paranaque". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved March 11, 2019.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "South tops North as Viernes, Anderson shine in MPBL All-Stars". Rappler. March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^ Joble, Rey (April 18, 2019). "Ask the fans | Who makes your list of awardees for the MPBL Datu Cup?". Fox Sports Philippines. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
- ^ Saldajeno, Ivan Stewart (April 22, 2019). "Gab Banal wins MPBL MVP plum". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "MPBL: San Juan downs Davao Occidental captures title in dramatic fashion". ABS-CBN Sports. April 25, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Isaga, JR (June 20, 2018). "MPBL week 1: Juntilla bags Player of the Week, Sazon wows in opener". Rappler. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ^ Bolo, Lance (June 27, 2018). "Best Player of the Week (June 19–23), Christopher Sumalinog of Bacoor City Strikers, He registered 22 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks against Cebu City Sharks - Casino Ethyl Alcohol last week". Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ^ Bolo, Lance (July 2, 2018). "Player of the Week (June 26–30): JAI REYES, Nagtala ng double-double performance (21pts, 11rebs, 5ast, 1stl) si Jai Reyes ng Laguna Krah Heroes upang makuha ang unang panalo ng kanyang koponan kontra sa home team Pasig Pirates nung nakaraang June 26". Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ "Player of the Week: (Oct. 9-13): JAN JAMON (Pasay Voyagers)". Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Facebook Page. Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ^ "Player of the Week (Oct. 16-20): BOBBY BALUCANAG (Pasay Voyagers)". October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.