The UNTV Cup Season 3 was the 2014-2015 season of the public service-based basketball league, the UNTV Cup based in the Philippines. It was opened on November 17, 2014[1] at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Its final games was held on April 28, 2015[2] at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
During the season, the league got its first AnakTV award for being a child-friendly basketball tournament.[3]
Teams
There are 11 squads who vied for the championship title of the season, including 8 returning teams led by Season 2 champions AFP Cavaliers.
The elimination round began on November 17, 2014 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The schedule followed a single round robin format in which all teams faced each other once in their respective group, for a total of 4 games per team. After the first elimination round, the bottom teams per group are eliminated, and the top 4 teams per group advance to the second elimination round. After the second elimination round, the bottom 2 teams are eliminated. The top 2 teams get outright semifinals spots, while the remaining 4 teams battle it out on the quarterfinals, with #3 team facing #6, and #4 seed playing against #5.
First Round
Group A
Pos
Team
Pld
W
L
PF
PA
PD
PCT
GB
Qualification
1
q – Malacañang Patriots
4
4
0
324
291
+33
1.000
—
Advanced to the second round
2
q – PNP Responders
4
3
1
369
270
+99
.750
1
3
q – DOJ Justice Boosters
4
2
2
349
343
+6
.500
2
4
q – BFP Firefighters
4
1
3
307
331
−24
.250
3
5
e – HOR Solons
4
0
4
303
417
−114
.000
4
Eliminated
Source: UNTV Cup e – Eliminated; q – Qualified for the phase indicated
There are six teams that qualified for the playoffs. The top two teams, (#1) Malacañang Patriots and (#2) Judiciary Magis, already advance to the semifinals, holding also the twice-to-beat advantage. The remaining four teams will fight for the final two semifinal slots. (#3) Senate Defenders and (#4) AFP Cavaliers will have a twice-to-beat advantage on the quarterfinals against (#6) DOJ Justice Boosters and (#5) PNP Responders, respectively.
Quarter-finals #3 and #4 seeds have twice-to-beat advantage
Semi-finals #1 and #2 seeds have twice-to-beat advantage
The defending champion and #4 team AFP Cavaliers have a twice-to-beat advantage against two-time runner-up and #5 ranked PNP Responders, while first time quarterfinalist and #6 seed DOJ Justice Boosters needs to win two games versus #3 team Senate Defenders.
Both higher seeded teams won their respective series in close. AFP prevents PNP in reaching a third straight finals appearance, 63–59, while Senate beat DOJ in an overtime thriller, 80–78, to advance to the semifinals. The Cavaliers face top team Malacañang Patriots, and the Defenders sets a date with three-time #2 seed Judiciary Magis.
The Malacañang Patriots and Judiciary Magis have a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals after being the top 2 teams at the end of the elimination round. Quarterfinals winners AFP Cavaliers and Senate Defenders would need to win twice to enter the finals.
AFP won the first game to extend the series, but Malacañang snatched the second game to eliminate the Cavaliers. On the other match-up, Judiciary beat Senate convincingly, 95–75, to advance to the finals.
Battle for Third Place: (3) Senate Defenders vs. (4) AFP Cavaliers
The battle for third place was between the #3 seed Senate Defenders and reigning champion #4 team AFP Cavaliers, after they lost their semifinals series on separate opponents with a twice-to-win disadvantage. AFP won the game, 98–87, and gets ₱500,000 for their chosen beneficiary as third placer. Despite the loss, Senate received ₱250,000 for charity as fourth placer.
Exhibition Game: Skywalker All Stars vs. UNTV Cup All Stars
Before the much-awaited championship match between Malacañang Patriots and Judiciary Magis, a special tribute game dubbed the "Skywalker All Star Exhibition Game" was held for the benefit of Samboy Lim and his family. On November 28, 2014, Lim has been rushed to a hospital unconscious after collapsing just minutes after coming out of an exhibition game.[8] He slipped into a coma, and was first admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Medical City, before he was later transferred to the intermediate care unit.[9] On January 14, 2015, he slipped out of his comatose state and was brought home where he will continue to receive treatment and therapy.[10] With Daniel Razon's idea, in behalf of the players' name, UNTV Cup donated money to Lim's family in order to help in Samboy's recovery.[11]
The UNTV Cup All Star selection faced former professional basketball players that were previous teammates of Lim.[12]
Skywalker All-Stars
The Skywalker All-Stars team is composed of former professional basketball players listed below. They wore red jerseys.
UNTV Cup Finals: (1) Malacañang Patriots vs. (2) Judiciary Magis
The best-of-three finals series was held on April 12 and 28, 2018, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City and Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, respectively. The championship is between the top two teams, #1 seed Malacañang Patriots and Season 1 champion Judiciary Magis. Both teams won their separate semis matchups with the twice-to-beat advantage. Judiciary won the finals series convincingly against Malacañang, 2–0, to get their second UNTV Cup title and donate ₱2 million to their chosen beneficiary. Malacañang received ₱1 million for their charity as runner-up.
A total of 5.45 million pesos tax-free was given to the teams' chosen beneficiaries, with the champion team Judiciary Magis taking home a trophy and 2 million pesos given to their chosen beneficiaries. The runner-up team Malacañang Patriots received 1 million pesos for their beneficiary. Five hundred thousand pesos was given to the third place team AFP Cavaliers for their chosen beneficiary. Two hundred fifty thousand pesos was given to the fourth-place finishers Senate Defenders for their chosen charity. The other participating teams got 100 thousand pesos for their beneficiary.[13]
In addition to the usual donations to the team's chosen charities, one million pesos was given to the family of Samboy Lim.<ref name="GoodNewsPH">
Place
Winning Team
Beneficiaries
Cash Prize
Actual Prize Received
Champion
Judiciary Magis
Supreme Court personnel who suffered serious ailments or injuries while in the service Heirs of Supreme Court personnel who have passed away while in the service
₱1,500,000
₱2,000,000
Runner up
Malacañang Patriots
Cancer Ward of the Philippine Children's Hospital
₱650,000
₱1,000,000
3rd
AFP Cavaliers
AFP Educational Benefit System Office and Camp Aguinaldo General Hospital
₱250,000
₱500,000
4th
Senate Defenders
Khyte Foundation, Inc. and Pangarap Foundation, Inc.
