1999–2000 Philippine Basketball League season
| 1999–2000 PBL season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 13, 1999 – January 31, 2000 |
| Number of teams | 9 + 2 |
| TV partner(s) | VTV (IBC) Silverstar Sports (PTV) |
| 1st Yakult-PBL Challenge Cup champions | Welcoat Paints |
| 1st Yakult-PBL Challenge Cup runners-up | Red Bull |
| 2nd Yakult-PBL Challenge Cup champions | Welcoat Paints |
| 2nd Yakult-PBL Challenge Cup runners-up | Ana Water Dispenser |
The 1999–2000 season of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).[1]
Participating teams (coach)
- Ana Water Dispenser (Jimmy Mariano)
- Blu Detergent (Binky Favis, replaced by Nat Canson)
- Boom Laundry Master (Leo Isaac) *New team in the 2nd challenge cup
- Chowking Fastfood (Leo Austria)
- Colt 45 (Angelito Esguerra) *Took a leave in the 2nd challenge cup
- Dazz Dishwashing Gel (Dong Vergiere)
- Montaña Jewels (Rex Manansala)
- Red Bull Energy Drink (Gil Lumberio)
- Welcoat Paints (Junel Baculi)
1999 (1st) Yakult-Challenge Cup
Semifinal standings
| Qualified for finals |
| # | Teams | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcoat Paints | 15 | 7 | .681 | -- |
| 2 | Red Bull Energy Drink | 15 | 7 | .681 | -- |
| 3 | Chowking | 15 | 7 | .681 | -- |
| 4 | Colt 45 | 12 | 10 | .545 | 3 |
| 5 | Blu Detergent | 8 | 14 | .363 | 7 |
Eliminated from the semifinals were Dr.J/Ana, Dazz and Montana. Red Bull defeats Chowking in a playoff game to advance in the finals series against Welcoat, the Paint Masters made it first via superior quotient.
Finals
A torrid third-quarter run and tight defense down the stretch was all it took for Welcoat to win their PBL championship as it held off Red Bull, 80-74, to complete a three-game sweep as the Paint Masters finally stepped out of the shadows of the Asia Brewery franchise Stag Pale Pilsen / Tanduay, which dominated the league the past three years before the latter ascended to the PBA this year. It was coach Junel Baculi's first PBL title since steering Hapee Toothpaste to the Import-Reinforced Conference title in 1996.[2]
1999-2000 (2nd) Yakult-Challenge Cup
Team standings
| Qualified for quarterfinals |
| # | Group A | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcoat Paints | 11 | 2 | .847 | -- |
| 2 | Chowking | 8 | 5 | .615 | 3 |
| 3 | Dazz Dishwashing Gel | 6 | 7 | .461 | 5 |
| 4 | Boom Laundry Master | 5 | 8 | .384 | 6 |
| 5 | Kendi Mint | 4 | 9 | .310 | 7 |
Chaz Perfume and Kendi Mint were guest teams.
| # | Group B | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Bull Energy Drink | 10 | 3 | .770 | -- |
| 2 | Ana Water Dispenser | 10 | 3 | .770 | -- |
| 3 | Blu Detergent Kings | 9 | 4 | .692 | 1 |
| 4 | Montaña Jewels | 2 | 11 | .153 | 8 |
| 5 | Chaz Perfume | 0 | 13 | .000 | 10 |
The top 4 teams had a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinal round, pairings were Welcoat-Kendi Mint, Ana-Boom, Red Bull-Dazz and Blu-Chowking.[3]
Welcoat and Red Bull meet in a best-of-three semifinals series while the two other winners of the quarterfinals are Ana Water Dispenser and Blu Detergent.[4] Welcoat and Ana prevailed, 2 games to 1, in their respective series to set up a finals showdown.[5]
Finals
The Paint Masters recorded their second straight "sweet sweep" with a controversial 58-56 squeaker over hard-fighting Ana Water Dispenser. Ana's Paolo Mendoza hit an off-balance three-point shot with .4 second remaining, which was nullified by the referees, saying the foul was made by Welcoat's Yancy De Ocampo before the shot, the decision of the referees not to count Mendoza's shot was loudly booed by Ana followers, had it been counted will give Ana a hairline 59-58 lead and could have prevented an outright celebration by Welcoat.[6]