The 2000 Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs season was the 13th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). This will be the team's final season under Ayala Corporation.
Draft picks
Transactions Players Added Via Free Agency Braulio Lim (From Alaska Aces) Via Trade Noy Castillo (From Shell Velocity in exchange for future first round pick)Players Lost Via Expansion Draft Edmund Reyes (Taken by Red Bull) Via Free Agency Genesis Sasuman
Finals stint Purefoods return to the PBA finals after two years of non-title playoff. In the All-Filipino Cup, the Tender Juicy Hotdogs got the benefit of playing in the championship when the league forfeited Tanduay Rhum's two wins over them during the Best-of-five semifinal series where Fil-Sham Sonny Alvarado was fielded in. With the series stands at 2-1 in their favor, Purefoods went on to win game four, 72–71 in overtime, on the heroics of guard Boyet Fernandez to reach the All-Filipino finals against the Alaska Milkmen. After winning game one of the finals series, the Tender Juicy Hotdogs lost the next four games and settled for runner-up honors.
Behind best import Derrick Brown, the Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs were on their second trip to the finals in the Governors Cup. They played the defending champions San Miguel Beermen. The Hotdogs fell behind by losing the first three games of the best-of-seven title series and lost anew in five games for another runner-up finish in the season.
Roster
Eliminations (Won games) Games won DATE OPPONENT SCORE VENUE (Location) February 25 San Miguel 98-75 Philsports Arena March 3 Red Bull 76-71 Philsports Arena March 11 Brgy.Ginebra 92-80 Zamboanga City March 26 Mobiline 80-75 Araneta Coliseum April 5 Sta.Lucia 84-65 Philsports Arena April 16 Shell 76-69 Araneta Coliseum April 23 Sta.Lucia 68-62 Araneta Coliseum April 28 Brgy.Ginebra 65-59 Philsports Arena June 30 Brgy.Ginebra 97-76 Ynares Center July 9 Sta.Lucia 81-77 Araneta Coliseum July 29 Alaska 79-62 Ormoc City August 2 Mobiline 81-78 Philsports Arena September 30 Alaska 91-88 Araneta Coliseum October 7 Shell 105-97 San Jose, Antique October 27 Sta.Lucia 87-82 Araneta Coliseum November 10 San Miguel 92-86 Philsports Arena November 15 Red Bull 96-94 Araneta Coliseum
References