The Swift-PABL selection won the 3rd Asian Interclub basketball tournament held in Jakarta, Indonesia from April 9–18. Among the teams who participated were Samsung Electronics of Korea, Pandan Jaya of Malaysia, Asaba Club of Indonesia, Liaoning of China, Armed Forces of Singapore, and Orthodox of Jordan. Swift-PABL, coached by Nat Canson, defeated title-favorite Liaoning of China, 84–69, in the finale to complete a seven-game sweep.[1]
The players of the Swift-PABL selection were honored during the opening ceremonies of the International Invitational Cup semifinal round. Among those who received their plaques of recognition were Gilbert Reyes, Ric-Ric Marata, Ato Agustin, Paul Alvarez, Nelson Asaytono, Peter Aguilar and Hernani Demigillo.
The season opens on March 19. PBA superstar Robert Jaworski and Representative Freddie Webb were the guest of honors in the opening ceremonies. [2] The Prelims determined the top three local teams, National Open champion RFM-Swifts and Philips Sardines are tied with six wins and two losses. Sta.Lucia Realtors, Mama's Love and Magnolia Ice Cream were at second place with similar 5-3 won-loss cards. [3] In a playoff game to determine the third outright semifinal seat, the Realtors drew bye, Mama's Love beat Magnolia, 85-73 on April 18, and on the following day on April 19, Sta.Lucia advances outright with a 93-91 win over Mama's Love. [4]
The six remaining teams battle for the last two semifinal slots and at the end of the single round, Magnolia Ice Cream made it 5-0 while Purefoods took the last ticket at 4-1. In the penultimate day of the eliminations, Agfa Colors default its game against Converse because its head coach did not bother to read the new schedule handed to him. The Color Specialists protested the default and when the decision of the board was handed the next day, Agfa was squaring off with Purefoods and upon learning the protest was turned down, Agfa coach Eddie Reyes pulled out his first stringers to deliberately lose the game. Converse coach Jun Celis protested the action of Agfa, the All-Stars finish with three wins and two losses and had a chance to tie Purefoods had Agfa played its heart out.
Three seeded foreign teams participated in the semifinal round, Isuzu Motors of Japan, which had two 6-9 Americans; Ted Young and Dale Roberts, a sixth-round draftee of the Detroit Pistons in 1984, in the lineup. University of British Columbia representing Canada and Pelita Jaya of Indonesia, which had Daryl Smith and Gerardo Ramos as imports. [5]
RFM-Swift's and Philips Sardines went on to play in the Best-of-three title series. The Hotdogs defeated the Sardine Masters, two games to one, winning the deciding third game in overtime, 99-93. Ricric Marata's jumper with 10 seconds left in regulation tied the count at 85-all and send the game into an extension period. Ric-Ric Marata and Alvin Patrimonio combined to spell the difference in the five-minute extension. Benjie Paras of Philips Sardines was named the tournament's reigning Most Valuable Player.
Mama's Love decided not to participate in the second conference. The six teams which made it to the semifinal round were Philips Sardines, Agfa Colors and Converse, the three teams which topped the eliminations to make it outright, joining them were RFM-Swifts, Magnolia and Sta.Lucia. In a one-round semifinals, Magnolia clinch the first finals berth with a 4-1 won-loss card, routing Swifts, 117-95, in their last assignment. The Sta.Lucia Realtors, which won their first three semis outing, took the other seat and will play the Ice Cream Makers in the finals.
Sta.Lucia with new coach Nemie Villegas, replacing Nat Canson at the start of the Freedom Cup, won the first game of the title series, 96-80. The Ice Cream Makers, who haven't beaten the Realtors in all four previous meetings, took the second game, 111-107, to tie the series and send the championship to a winner-take-all match. In the third and final game, Magnolia escaped with an 87-86 victory over Sta.Lucia to capture their third PABL title in a 2-1 series victory.
The third conference opens on October 15 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum with newcomers Burger City, Silver Horizon and the returning Concrete Aggregates Corporation. [6] During the opening rites, the Board decided to adopt the theme "Unity For Sports Development". The eight participating teams play a single-round prelims with the top four advancing to the semifinal round, the next four teams will be joined by Shakey's-Baguio and Marsman Estate Plantation of Davao in another single round to determined the last two teams qualifying in the semis. McDonald's of Taiwan is the lone guest foreign squad and will be seeded in the semifinals.
RFM-Swift Hotdogs were on top of the team standings after the eliminations with six wins and one loss, followed by Magnolia and Sta.Lucia, tied with five wins and two losses. Philips Sardines makes it outright with an 86-73 win against Concrete Aggregates in a playoff game on November 12. [7]
In the next round, Concrete Aggregates withdrew because of a depleted line-up, leaving only five teams to dispute the last two slots. Shakey's-Baguio enters the semifinal round and Burger City completed the cast with a 73-72 playoff win over Agfa Color Films on December 1. [8]
Magnolia Ice Cream and Philips Sardine Canners advances into the championship round with similar 5-1 won-loss record in the semifinals. Philips beat Magnolia, 93-83, on the last playing date on December 14 to close the door on the finals' hopes of McDonald's/Taipei. [9] Philips Sardines won their first-ever PABL crown, blowing out defending champion Magnolia Ice Cream in the final half of a decisive 103-86 victory in Game three and a 2-1 series win. As expected, Benjie Paras of Philips was the runaway MVP winner.
Five teams namely Purefoods, Agfa Colors, Converse, Philips Sardines and AFPSLAI troopers, tried to form a breakaway group during the months of July with a so-called National Amateur Basketball Association (NABA) as they were against the leadership of PABL chairman Joey Concepcion. BAP President Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat has spoken he cannot sanction the supposed new league. [10]
Related Research Articles
The Sta. Lucia Realtors were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1993 to 2010. Prior to joining the PBA, it played in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) from 1987 to 1992.
The Pop Cola Panthers were a professional basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1990-2001. The franchise was owned by RFM Corporation. In 2001, when RFM Corporation sold its entire stake in Cosmos Bottling Corporation to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), the PBA franchise was included in the transaction. Upon ownership by CCBPI, the PBA franchise renamed the Coca-Cola Tigers beginning the 2002 PBA season and was considered as an expansion team.
The Philippine Basketball League (PBL) was a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league was composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars.
The 1993 PBA season was the 19th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Ronald "Ronnie" Magsanoc is a Filipino coach, basketball analyst, and retired professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was known for his moniker "The Point Laureate".
Elmer "Boy" Cabahug is a retired Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association and the former head coach of the University of the Visayas Green Lancers varsity team.
The 1993 San Miguel Beermen season was the 19th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The 1993 Sta. Lucia Realtors season was the first season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The 1995 Sta. Lucia Realtors season was the 3rd season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The 1995 Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs season was the 8th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The 1995 Alaska Milkmen season was the 10th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The 1996 Sta. Lucia Realtors season was the fourth season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The 1989 PABL season is the 7th season of the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL).
The 1990 season of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).
The 1986 PABL season is the fourth season of the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL).
The 1987 PABL season is the fifth season of the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL).
The 1991 season of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).
The Purefoods Corporation had a basketball rivalry with the Republic Flour Mills (RFM) company in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for most of the 1990s, where they competed not only in sports but also in products.
Ricardo "Ric-Ric" Marata was a Filipino former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Zaldy Realubit is a Filipino retired professional basketball player who is now the Chief Operating Officer of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. He was also the head coach of the Pilipinas Aguilas.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
