The 2008-09 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup or known as the 2008-09 KFC PBA Philippine Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the first conference of the 2008-09 PBA season. The tournament started on October 4, 2008, and ended on February 11, 2009. The new conference will have games on Thursdays and Saturdays. The tournament is an All-Filipino format, which bans an import or a pure-foreign player for each team.

The tournament featured the first ever regular season game played in Singapore. It was played at the Singapore Indoor Stadium between the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters and the San Miguel Beermen on November 30.

Format The following format was observed for the duration of the conference: Double-round robin eliminations; 18 games per team; Teams are then seeded by basis on win–loss records. Ties are broken among points differences of the tied teams if the teams are not tied for #2, #5 or #9. If tied on those seeds, an extra game will be played to determine which team clinches the higher seed. Teams seeded #6 vs # 9 and #7 vs # 8 both games is knock out then winner of both games advance the next knock out games to determine witch teams go to quarterfinals #3, #4 and #5 teams automatically advance to the best of three quarterfinals: #3 team vs. winner of knockout wildcard #4 vs. #5 teams #1 and #2 teams automatically advance to the best of seven semifinals: Winner of first quarterfinal vs. #1 Winner of second quarterfinal vs. #2 The winners in the semifinals advance to the best-of-seven Finals. The losers dispute the third-place trophy in a one-game playoff.

Elimination round

Team standings

Schedule

Bracket

Wildcard phase

First round

Second round

Quarterfinals

(3) Barangay Ginebra vs. (6) San Miguel

In a battle of the two teams owned by the San Miguel Corporation, the Beermen escaped with a one-point win at game 1. The Kings averted elimination when the Beermen collapsed at Game 2, but Dondon Hontiveros lead the charge at game 3's fourth quarter to prevent a second-consecutive PBA championship for Ginebra as the Beermen closed out the Kings in a sold-out Cuneta Astrodome.

(4) Rain or Shine vs (5) Sta. Lucia

In their first playoff appearance since joining the league in 2006, the Elasto Painters were overwhelmed in Game 1 by the defending champions, who played with the comebacking Ryan Reyes who just came from injury. Fracas involving Rain or Shine's Gabe Norwood and Solomon Mercado at the end of the first game caused Norwood to be suspended in Game 2, and Mercado on Game 3 if it happens. The short-handed Elasto Painters wound up short in Game 2 as they were eliminated.

Semifinals

(1) Alaska vs (5) Sta. Lucia

In a rematch of the 2007-08 semifinals series, the Aces won two consecutive game to lead the series 2–0. However, the Realtors won Game 3 to cut the series lead. But Alaska, seeking to prevent what happened last year, won Game 4 to take a commanding 3–1 series lead. Sta. Lucia won Game 5 but they came out short in Game 6 with Willie Miller having an all-around performance to lead the Aces to a rematch of the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference Finals against Talk 'N Text.

(2) Talk 'N Text vs. (6) San Miguel

Unlike the other semifinal which was a slow defensive battle, the Talk 'N Text–San Miguel matchup was a high-scoring offensive-minded series, with both teams passing the century mark in all of the games. The Texters walloped the winded Beermen in Game 1 with a 29-point win, but the Beermen were able to get even with a Game 2 victory. The Texters escaped at Game 3 thanks to Jimmy Alapag's clutch baskets, despite Hontiveros' 39-point explosion.

In a do-or-die Game 5, Marc Pingris and former Talk 'N Text player Jay Washington had double-double efforts to prevent the Texters from barging in the Finals. With Yancy de Ocampo was suspended after committing a flagrant foul-penalty 2 against Danny Seigle in Game 6, his brother Ranidel was ejected in the second quarter with the same offense. The game was close until the third quarter when the Texters made a run, but the Beermen tied the game at the end of the fourth quarter; Alapag missed a go-ahead tree-pointer as time expired to force overtime. With 1:57 left in overtime, Washington scored on a put-back to put SMB up 115–113. On the next possession, Mark Cardona converted his own three-pointer to put TNT up 116–115. Washington missed a short stab, and Harvey Carey missed his own shot at the other end. Ali Peek tapped the ball, and Cardona grabbed it as time expired, to lead the Texters into the Finals.

Third place playoff

Finals

Awards Finals MVP: Mark Cardona (Talk 'N Text) Best Player of the Conference: Willie Miller (Alaska Aces)Texters nip Aces, tie finals series , Philippine Daily Inquirer. Players of the Week: October 4–5: Solomon Mercado (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters) October 6–12: Junjun Cabatu (Barangay Ginebra Kings) October 13–19: Jay Washington (San Miguel Beermen) and Willie Miller (Alaska Aces) October 20–26: Asi Taulava (Coca-Cola Tigers) October 27 – November 2: James Yap and Kerby Raymundo (Purefoods TJ Giants) November 3–9: Gary David (Air21 Express) November 10–16: Mark Cardona (Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters) November 17–23: Joseph Yeo (Sta. Lucia Realtors) and Ronjay Buenafe (Coca-Cola Tigers) November 24–30: Jimmy Alapag (Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters) December 1 – 7: Ranidel de Ocampo (Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters) December 8–14: Jeffrei Chan (Red Bull Barako) December 15–21: John Arigo (Coca-Cola Tigers) and Joseph Yeo (Sta. Lucia Realtors) December 22–28: Ranidel de Ocampo (Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters) December 29 – January 4: Bonbon Custodio (San Miguel Beermen) January 5–11: Dondon Hontiveros (San Miguel Beermen) January 12–18: Jimmy Alapag (Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters) January 19–25: Mark Cardona (Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters)

Conference records Records marked with an asterisk (*) were accomplished with one or more overtime periods.

Team Record Stat Holder Date/sLongest winning streak 5 Sta. Lucia Realtors December 11 – January 13Longest losing streak 8 Red Bull Barako November 2 – December 14Most points in one quarter 42 Sta. Lucia Realtors vs. Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters (4th Quarter) October 12, 2008 Biggest winning margin 29 San Miguel Beermen 118, Barangay Ginebra Kings 89 October 22, 2008Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 129, San Miguel Beermen 100 January 14, 2009

Individual Record Stat Holder Date/sMost points in one game 42 Mark Cardona (Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters) vs. Red Bull Barako November 16, 2008Most points in one half 30 Gary David (Air21 Express) vs. San Miguel Beermen November 5, 2008 Most points in one quarter 19 Gary David (Air21 Express) vs. San Miguel Beermen November 5, 2008 Most rebounds in one game 25 Asi Taulava (Coca-Cola Tigers) vs. Air21 Express November 15, 2008 Most assists in one game 12 LA Tenorio (Alaska Aces) vs. Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters February 6, 2009 Most blocks in one game 6 Mike Hrabak (Red Bull Barako) vs. Purefoods TJ Giants October 8, 2008 J.R. Quiñahan (Air21 Express) vs. Brgy. Ginebra Kings December 5, 2008 Most steals in one game 6 Bonbon Custodio (San Miguel Beermen) vs. Red Bull Barako December 6, 2008Most 3 point FG made in one game 8 3 Tied 3 Occasions Most minutes played in one game 50* James Yap (Purefoods TJ Giants) vs. Coca-Cola Tigers October 15, 2008 Asi Taulava (Coca-Cola Tigers) vs Purefoods TJ Giants October 15, 2008

Statistical leaders + Category Player Team Stat GP Points per game Mark Cardona Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 22.32 22 Rebounds per game Asi Taulava Coca-Cola Tigers 13.00 16 Assists per game Alex Cabagnot Coca-Cola Tigers 5.69 16 Steals per game Ryan Reyes Sta. Lucia Realtors 2.07 15 Blocks per game J.R. Quiñahan Air21 Express 2.00 19 Field goal percentage Willy Wilson Barangay Ginebra Kings .548 21 Free throw percentage Olsen Racela San Miguel Beermen .913 26 Three-point field goal percentage Mark Macapagal Coca-Cola Tigers .477 19

References

External links PBA.ph