2000 PBA All-Filipino Cup

Last updated

2000 PBA All-Filipino Cup
DurationFebruary 20 – June 11, 2000
TV partner(s) Viva TV (IBC)
Finals
Champions Alaska Milkmen
Runners-up Purefoods TJ Hotdogs
Awards
Best Player Kenneth Duremdes
(Alaska Milkmen)
Finals MVP Poch Juinio
(Alaska Milkmen)
PBA All-Filipino Cup chronology
PBA conference chronology

The 2000 PBA All-Filipino Cup or known as the 2000 Alaxan PBA All-Filipino Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the first conference of the 2000 PBA season. It started on February 20 and ended on June 11, 2000. The tournament is an All-Filipino format, which doesn't require an import or a pure-foreign player for each team.

Contents

Format

The following format will be observed for the duration of the conference:

Elimination round

Team standings

PosTeamWLPCTGBQualification
1 Tanduay Rhum Masters 122.857 Twice-to-beat in the quarterfinals
2 San Miguel Beermen 104.714 [a] 2
3 Alaska Milkmen 104.714 [a] 2
4 Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 86.5714
5 Sta. Lucia Realtors 68.429 [b] 6 Twice-to-win in the quarterfinals
6 Pop Cola 800s 68.429 [b] 6
7 Mobiline Phone Pals 59.357 [c] 7
8 Barangay Ginebra Kings 59.357 [c] 7
9 Shell Velocity 59.357 [c] 7
10 Batang Red Bull Energizers [d] 311.2149
Source: PBA.ph
Notes:
  1. 1 2 Head-to-head differential: San Miguel +9, Alaska 9
  2. 1 2 Head-to-head differential: Sta. Lucia +10, Pop Cola 10
  3. 1 2 3 Head-to-head differential: Mobiline +24, Barangay Ginebra +3, Shell 27; eighth-seed playoff: Barangay Ginebra 71–68 Shell
  4. Red Bull had to forfeit two of their wins (both against Sta. Lucia) when they fielded an ineligible player.

Eighth seed playoff

Mobiline had a better quotient on their games among Shell and Barangay Ginebra hence they were awarded with the #7 seed. [1]

Bracket

QuarterfinalsSemifinals
(best-of-5)
Finals
(best-of-7)
#1 twice-to-beat
1 Tanduay 101
8 Brgy. Ginebra 78
1Tanduay1
#4 twice-to-beat
4Purefoods3
4 Purefoods 6889
5 Sta. Lucia 9379
4Purefoods1
#2 twice-to-beat
3Alaska4
2 San Miguel 82
7 Mobiline 61
2San Miguel1Third-place playoff
#3 twice-to-beat
3Alaska3
3 Alaska 81
1Tanduay103
6 Pop Cola 67
2San Miguel92

Quarterfinals

(1) Tanduay vs. (8) Barangay Ginebra

VTV
May 10
Tanduay Rhum Masters 101, Barangay Ginebra Kings 78
Tanduay wins series in one game

(2) San Miguel vs. (7) Mobiline

VTV
May 12
San Miguel Beermen 82, Mobiline Phone Pals 61
San Miguel wins series in one game

(3) Alaska vs. (6) Pop Cola

VTV
May 12
Alaska Milkmen 81, Pop Cola 800s 67
Alaska wins series in one game

(4) Purefoods vs. (5) Sta. Lucia

Semifinals

(1) Tanduay vs. (4) Purefoods

VTV
May 17
Tanduay Rhum Masters 91, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 79
VTV
May 19
Tanduay Rhum Masters 85, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 75
VTV
May 21
Tanduay Rhum Masters 93, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 70
Tanduay wins series, 30
On May 22, PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino forfeited Tanduay's Games 2 and 3 victories in favor of Purefoods for the deportation of Sonny Alvarado. Purefoods now leads the series 21.
VTV
May 24
Tanduay Rhum Masters vs. Purefoods TJ Hotdogs
Game postponed
VTV
May 26
Tanduay Rhum Masters vs. Purefoods TJ Hotdogs
Game postponed indefinitely
VTV
May 31
Tanduay Rhum Masters 71, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 72 (OT)
Purefoods wins series, 31

The day after Tanduay swept the series 30, the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) revoked Sonny Alvarado's Filipino citizenship as it uncovered that the player used fraudulent papers; consequently, the BID ordered Alvarado's deportation. This caused PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino to forfeit two of Tanduay's semifinal wins (Games 2 and 3) since Alvarado played in those games (he didn't play in the first game). The league earlier forfeited Batang Red Bull's wins when 18-year-old Kerby Raymundo was found to have deficient academic credentials. With the forfeitures, the series would have resumed on Game 4 with Purefoods leading the series 21; however, Tanduay secured a temporary restraining order (TRO) that prevented the league from staging Game 4 of their series. [2] The league suspended the Game 4 on the May 24 playdate, the first time a game has been suspended for a cause other than a typhoon, an earthquake, or a bomb threat. [3]

PBA legal counsel Butch Cleofe warned that Tanduay faced suspension from the league, a hefty fine and even expulsion when it fails to show up on the May 26 playdate. A P500,000 fine faced the franchise plus other penalties the commissioner may impose. [4] Prior to the game, Tanduay was able to secure an extension of the TRO hence Game 4 was suspended for a second time; this has been the first time a PBA game has been suspended via a court order. The league has already lost P600,000 on gate receipts and Viva TV lost about P2 million in TV commercials. [5] The league rejected Tanduay's offer of resetting the series with them leading 10, with the games that Alvarado played declared as "no contests"; the league insisted that the Rhum Masters play Game 4 with them trailing 12. [6] On May 30, Tanduay relented and agreed to play Game 4 with them trailing 12. Bernardino would deal with Tanduay's actions "accordingly with due process". To prevent such events from happening again, the PBA Board has decided that Filipino-Americans would have to secure clearances from the BID and the Department of Justice (DOJ; previously, only a BID clearance was sufficient). [7]

When Game 4 was finally played, the game went into overtime; Purefoods' Boyet Fernandez converted a three-point field goal with 0.2 of a second remaining to seal Purefoods' unlikely Finals qualification against 1990s rival Alaska. [8]

(2) San Miguel vs. (3) Alaska

Third place playoff

Finals

VTV
June 2
Alaska Milkmen 59, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 73
VTV
June 4
Alaska Milkmen 93, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 76
VTV
June 7
Alaska Milkmen 79, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 71
VTV
June 9
Alaska Milkmen 88, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 75
VTV
June 11
Alaska Milkmen 85, Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 84
Alaska wins series, 41

Alaska won the title on Game 5 despite trailing by six points late in the fourth quarter; Rodney Santos and Poch Juinio carried the scoring slack when Bong Hawkins and Johnny Abarrientos had bad starts. Abarrientos was able to make it up by hitting a jump-shot to give the Milkmen the lead 8582. Noy Castillo converted both free-throws to cut the lead to one. Alaska missed four free-throws, including two intentional misses by James Wallkvist with 0.5 of a second remaining to clinch their first All-Filipino championship since 1998. Alvin Patrimonio had a series-best 22 points but went scoreless at the final quarter that helped Alaska to catch up.

References

  1. Reyes, Marc Anthony. "Mobiline, Gin square off today". Philippine Daily Inquirer .
  2. Reyes, Marc Anthony. "Alvarado out; Tanduay stuns PBA with TRO". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  3. Castillo, Musong. "TRO calls off Game 4 as controversy deepens". Sun Star Manila . Archived from the original on February 9, 2001. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  4. Reyes, Marc Anthony. "Tanduay faces suspension". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  5. Reyes, Marc Anthony. "Tanduay gets 2nd TRO; game nixed indefinitely". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  6. Arcano, Jong. "PBA rejects Tanduay offer". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on June 20, 2000. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  7. Reyes, Marc Anthony. "Game 4 today; sanctions sought". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on June 20, 2000. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  8. Reyes, Marc Anthony. "Purefoods-Alaska Game 1 today". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Archived from the original on June 19, 2000. Retrieved March 20, 2009.