The 2019–20 MPBL season, also known as the MPBL Lakan Season or the Chooks-to-Go MPBL Lakan Season for sponsorship reasons, was the third season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. It was also the last season of the league's amateur era, as they would turn professional in December 2021. The regular season began June 12, 2019 with the opening ceremonies at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, and ended on February 12, 2020. The 2020 MPBL All-Star Game was also held at the same venue on February 13, 2020. The playoffs then began on February 15, 2020.
This season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines as the season had to be suspended on March 11, 2020, midway through the division finals. Nearly one year later, the playoffs resumed on March 10, 2021 with a bubble in the Subic Bay Gymnasium in Subic, Zambales before finally ending on March 21, 2021 when the Davao Occidental Tigers defeated the defending champion San Juan Knights in four games in the 2021 MPBL finals.
This season featured 31 teams, which is currently the biggest the league has gotten, with six expansion teams joining and one team departing from the league.
Teams
Expansion This season saw six expansion teams make their debut in the league. The Nueva Ecija MiGuard join from Central Luzon, while the Mindoro Tamaraws and Bicol Volcanoes became the first teams based in Mimaropa and the Bicol Region, respectively. Western Visayas is the only region with two expansion teams in the Bacolod Master Sardines and Iloilo United Royals. The last expansion team was the Soccsksargen Marlins representing the Soccsksargen region.
Despite the departure of the Mandaluyong El Tigre, which marked the first time a team didn't return to compete, the number of participating teams increased from 26 to 31, currently the most for a single season in league history.
Nueva Ecija was allocated to the North Division, with the other five expansion teams being placed in the South Division. To balance the divisions, the Marikina Shoemasters, Parañaque Patriots, and Rizal Golden Coolers moved to the North Division.
Arenas
Expansion team Team switched divisions New arena
Team Arena CapacityNorth Division Bataan Risers Bataan People's Center 4,000 Bulacan Kuyas Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium 5,000 Baliwag Star Arena 5,000 Malolos Sports and Convention Center 5,000 Caloocan Supremos Caloocan Sports Complex 3,000 Makati Super Crunch Makati Coliseum 12,000 Manila Stars San Andres Sports Complex 3,000 Marikina Shoemasters Marist School Gymnasium 2,500 Marikina Sports Center 7,000 Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines Navotas Sports Complex 1,000 Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards colspan="2" Pampanga Giant Lanterns AUF Sports and Cultural Center 3,000 Parañaque Patriots Olivarez College Gymnasium 3,500 Pasay Voyagers Cuneta Astrodome 12,000 Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors Pasig Sports Center 2,500 Quezon City Capitals Blue Eagle Gym 7,500 JCSGO Seed Dome 1,000 Rizal Golden Coolers Ynares Center 7,400 San Juan Knights Filoil Flying V Centre 5,500 Val City Carga Backload Solution Valenzuela Astrodome 3,000South Division Bacolod Master Sardines La Salle Coliseum 8,000 Bacoor City Strikers Strike Gymansium 1,500 Basilan Steel Lamitan Capitol Gymansium 3,000 Batangas City Athletics Batangas City Sports Coliseum 4,000 Batangas State University Gymnasium 2,500 Bicol Volcanoes Ibalong Centrum for Recreation 8,000 Albay Astrodome 8,000 Biñan City Luxxe White Alonte Sports Arena 6,500 Santa Rosa Sports Complex 5,700 Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol Hoops Dome 6,500 Aznar Coliseum 7,000 Davao Occidental Tigers Rizal Memorial Colleges Gymnasium 2,000 Davao City Recreation Center 2,500 USeP Gymnasium and Cultural Center 6,000 RDR Gymnasium N/A GenSan Warriors Lagao Gymnasium 6,000 Iloilo United Royals University of San Agustin Gymnasium 5,000 Passi City Arena 2,000 Imus Bandera Imus City Sports Complex 1,000 Mindoro Tamaraws colspan="2" Muntinlupa Cagers Muntinlupa Sports Center 3,000 Sarangani Marlins Sarangani Capitol Gymnasium N/A Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum 12,000Neutral SM Mall of Asia Arena 15,000 SM Mall of Asia Arena 15,000 rowspan="2" Hamdan Sports Complex 15,000 Winsport Arena N/A El Salvador City Gymnasium N/A Subic Bay Gymnasium N/A Notes During the latter part of the 2020–21 MPBL playoffs, all playoff games at the Subic Bay Gymnasium were held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.
Name changes The Cebu City Sharks changed their team name to Cebu Sharks before the start of the season, then later as Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol in October 2019 The Imus Bandera changed their team name to Imus Khaleb Shawarma before the start of the season, then later as Imus Bandera-Luxxe Slim in December 2019 The Laguna Heroes changed their team name to Biñan City Krah Heroes before the start of the season, then later as Biñan City Luxxe White in November 2019 The Navotas Clutch changed their team name to Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines in June 2019 The Valenzuela Classic changed their team name to Valenzuela SPVTOP Marketplace in June 2019, then later as Val City-Carga Backload Solution in November 2019 The Nueva Ecija MiGuard changed their team name to Nueva Ecija ForestLake in August 2019, then later as Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in October 2019 The Soccsksargen Marlins-Armor On changed their team name to Sarangani Marlins in November 2019
Coaching changes
Off-seasonTeamOutgoing coachIncoming coachBataan RisersJojo LastimosaJong UichicoBatangas City AthleticsMac TanGoldwyn MonteverdeBacoor StrikersLeo IssacChris GavinaImus Khaleb ShawarmaMike OrquillasBudds ReyesManila StarsPhilip CezarTino PinatMuntinlupa CagersJack AzcuetaRichie MelencioParañaque PatriotsMonel KallosMichael SaguiguitPasay VoyagersCholo MartinMarlon MartinPasig Sta. Lucia RealtorsRonjay EnrileBong Dela CruzRizal Golden CoolersBraulio Lim Jr.Jayvee GayosoValenzuela SPVTOP MarketplaceJuven FormacilGerry EsplanaMid-seasonTeamOutgoing coachIncoming coach1Bataan RisersJong UichicoJonas VillanuevaBatangas City AthleticsGoldwyn MonteverdeWoody CoBinan City Luxxe WhiteAlex AngelesDennis MirandaBulacan KuyasBritt ReromaKerwin McCoyCebu Casino Ethyl AlcoholTiting ManaliliNoynoy FalcasantosImus Bandera - Luxxe SlimBuddz Reyes Mac Cuan Eugene TanMac Cuan Eugene Tan Raymund ValenzonaGenSan WarriorsJesus Ramon PidoRich AlvarezMakati Super CrunchPocholo VillanuevaBeaujing AcotMindoro TamarawsBengie TeodoroJustin TanMuntinlupa CagersRichie Melencio Dave MoraldeDave Moralde Bonnie GarciaNueva Ecija Rice VanguardsEric Gascon Alvin GreyAlvin Grey Charles TiuQuezon City CapitalsVis ValenciaChristian CoronelZamboanga Family's Brand SardinesRaymund Valenzona Bai CristobalBai Cristobal Britt ReromaSarangani MarlinsBiboy Simon Bong Melocoton Bong Melocoton Manuel Torralba Val City - Carga Backload SolutionGerry EsplanaRonjay Enrile
Roster regulation changes After receiving criticism for its previous set of changes, the player limits were increased to allow more players to join the league. The Filipino-foreigner player limit was increased from one to two, with the height limit of 6'4" remaining intact. However, only one of them can play at a time. The ex-professional player limit was increased from five to seven. However, only five of them can play at a time.
Opening ceremony The opening ceremony took place on June 12, 2019 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. Some teams had a muse to represent the team, who are as follows:
Team Muse Basilan Steel Sharifa Akeel Bataan Risers Rolyn Angela Tungol Batangas City Athletics Jeanette Reyes Davao Occidental Tigers Vickie Rushton GenSan Warriors Pamela Sue Manila Stars Ahtisa Manalo Marikina Shoemasters Sophie Albert Mindoro Tamaraws Princess Legaspi Navotas Clutch Anne Tenorio Pampanga Giant Lanterns Zara Carbonell Parañaque Patriots Nikka Castro Pasay Voyagers Rachel May Libres Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors Mikaela Gabrielle Bañares Quezon City Capitals Samantha Bernardo Rizal Golden Coolers Patricia Reyes San Juan Knights Nadine Lustre Valenzuela Classic Abby Dizor Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines Joana Tan-Pe
Regular season
Format The 31 teams played in a single round-robin format, playing one game against all other teams in the league for a total of 30 games. In each gameday, a series of games is played in a designated home arena, with the home team usually playing in the final game.
The top eight teams in each division advanced to a four-round, single-elimination playoffs, playing in best-of-three series in the first three rounds, and a best-of-five series in the national finals, with homecourt advantage alternating between the higher seeds of each series in the first two rounds.
International games For the first time in MPBL history, the league held regular season games in international venues under its existing Invasion series.
Date Teams Arena Location Ref. MPBL Dubai Invasion September 27, 2019 Davao Occidental Tigers vs. Batangas City Athletics Hamdan Sports Complex Dubai, United Arab Emirates September 28, 2019 Batangas City Athletics vs. Imus Bandera MPBL Canada Invasion December 27, 2019 Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines vs. Imus Bandera Winsport Arena Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Standings
North Division
South Division
Results
Not all games are in home–away format. Each team plays every team once. Number of asterisks after each score denotes number of overtimes played.
Playoffs
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its division, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.
First Round
In the First Round, the first- and second-seeded teams host games 1 and 3 of its respective division, while the third- and fourth-seeded teams host game 2.
North Division First Round
South Division first round
Division semifinals In the Division Semifinals, the highest seeded team hosts games 1 and 3, while the second-highest seeded team hosts game 2.
North Division semifinals Due to San Juan advancing after game 2, Manila instead hosted game 3.
South Division semifinals
Division finals Under standard rules, in the division finals, the higher-seeded team hosts games 1 and 3 in its respective division, while the lower-seeded team hosts game 2.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the playoffs had to be suspended after both game 2s were played. The suspension lasted for a year, until the league were cleared by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to host a bubble at the Subic Bay Gymnasium in Olongapo, Zambales, where all remaining games were played.
North Division finals
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, San Juan ended up hosting games 1 and 2, the latter being held behind closed doors. Game 3 was held at a neutral site in the Subic Bay Gymnasium.
South Division finals Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, game 3 would've been held at a neutral site in the Subic Bay Gymnasium.
However, game 3 was defaulted because multiple Basilan Steel members were tested positive for COVID-19 inside the bubble. Thus the game and the series was won by Davao Occidental as the Tigers advanced to the MPBL finals.
MPBL finals
Neither team had homecourt advantage due to all games being held at the Subic Bay Gymnasium.
All-Star Game
The 2020 MPBL All-Star Game was an exhibition game played on February 13, 2020. It was the second edition of the MPBL All-Star Game, which took place at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, the same venue as the previous edition.
For the second consecutive season, South Division won against the North Division with a score of 126–122 in overtime. Jeff Viernes was also declared the All-Star Game MVP for the second time in a row.
Lineups