2023 MPBL season

2023 MPBL season
2023 MPBL season
League	Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
Sport	Basketball
Duration	Regular season:; March 11 – October 3, 2023; Playoffs:; October 6, 2023 – TBA
Number of games	405 (regular season)
Number of teams	29
TV partner(s)	Cignal TV (One PH, One Sports+, Media Pilipinas TV, Cignal Play, Pilipinas Live)
Playoffs

The 2023 MPBL season is the ongoing fifth season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and the second as a professional league. The regular season began on March 11, 2023 and was originally scheduled to end on September 30, 2023, but got postponed to October 3, 2023. The playoffs began on October 6, 2023.

The league took two breaks during the regular season, during Holy Week and during the Philippines' co-hosting of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[1]

This season features 29 teams, with five teams returning to the league alongside two expansion teams: the Negros Muscovados and the Quezon Huskers.

The opening ceremonies took place at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena, Quezon. The 2023 MPBL All-Star Game was held at Bataan People's Center in Balanga, Bataan, where the North Division beat the South Division for the first time with a score of 99–91.

OKBet continued to be the league's title sponsor up until the regular season.[2] In October 2023, Nexus88 Gaming became the new title sponsor of the league, with Arena Plus also becoming the league's official sportsbook partner.

Teams

Team changes

This season featured two expansion teams: the Negros Muscovados making its first regular season appearance after competing in the 2021 Invitational, and the Quezon Huskers making its first league appearance altogether. Five teams also made their return to the league, which includes the Bicol Volcanoes, Bulacan Kuyas, Iloilo United Royals, Parañaque Patriots and Pasay Voyagers. This increased the total number of teams from 22 teams in 2022 to 29 teams in 2023.[1]

Every returning team is allocated to its previous division, while both Negros and Quezon are placed in the South Division. The Rizal Golden Coolers were realigned back to the North Division.

Arenas

	Expansion team
	Returning team
	Team switched divisions
	New arena

Team	Arena	Capacity
North Division
Bataan Risers	Bataan People's Center	4,000
Bulacan Kuyas	Baliwag Star Arena	5,000
Caloocan Batang Kankaloo	Caloocan Sports Complex	3,000
Makati OKBet Kings	No home games
Manila Stars	San Andres Sports Complex	3,000
Marikina Shoemasters	Marikina Sports Center	7,000
Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards	Nueva Ecija Coliseum	3,000
Pampanga Giant Lanterns	Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center	3,000
Parañaque Patriots	Olivarez College Gymnasium	3,500
Pasay Voyagers	Cuneta Astrodome	12,000
Pasig City MCW Sports	Ynares Sports Arena	3,000
Quezon City Toda Aksyon	No home games
Rizal Golden Coolers	Ynares Center	7,400
Rizal Golden Coolers	One Arena	N/A
San Juan Knights	Filoil EcoOil Centre	6,000
Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc.	WES Arena	N/A
South Division
Bacolod City of Smiles	No home games
Bacoor City Strikers	Strike Gymansium	1,500
Batangas City Embassy Chill	Batangas City Sports Coliseum	2,500
Batangas City Embassy Chill	Batangas State University Gymnasium	4,000
Bicol Volcanoes	No home games
GenSan Warriors	Lagao Gymnasium^[I]	6,000
Iloilo United Royals	Passi City Arena	2,000
Imus SV Squad	Imus City Sports Complex	1,000
Laguna Heroes	Santa Rosa Sports Complex	5,700
Laguna Heroes	Laguna Sports Complex	2,500
Mindoro Disiplinados	Sentrong Pangkabataan	N/A
Muntinlupa Cagers	Muntinlupa Sports Center	3,000
Negros Muscovados	La Salle Coliseum	8,000
Quezon Huskers	Quezon Convention Center	8,000
Sarangani Marlins	No home games
Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines	Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum	12,000
Neutral
–	Paco Arena^[N]	1,000

Notes

^I Only used for the 2023 Preseason Invitational.
^N Despite the presence of the Manila Stars, the arena was not used by the team during the season.

Name changes

The Batangas City Embassy Chill temporarily changed its name to Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters during the 2023 Preseason Invitational.
The Imus City Bandera changed its name to Imus SV Squad before the 2023 Preseason Invitational.
The Bacolod Bingo Plus changed its name to Bacolod City of Smiles before the start of the season. The team is alternatively known as the Bacolod Maskaras.
The Caloocan Excellence changed its name to Caloocan Batang Kankaloo before the start of the season.
The Laguna Heroes Krah Asia changed its name to Laguna Krah Asia before the start of the season.
The Makati × MNL Kingpin changed its name to Makati OKBet Kings before the start of the season.
The Mindoro Tams changed its name to Oriental Mindoro Disiplinados before the start of the season, then later changed to Mindoro Disiplinados in June 2023.
The Quezon City MG changed its name to Quezon City Gaz N Go before the start of the season, then later changed to Quezon City Toda Aksyon in June 2023.
The Negros Muscovados changed its name to Negros Pau Muscovados on March 30, 2023.

Coaching changes

Off-season
Team	Outgoing coach	Incoming coach
Bacolod City of Smiles	Alexander Angeles	Monel Kallos
Bulacan Kuyas	Kerwin McCoy	Alvin Grey
Bacoor City Strikers	Willie Generalao	Alexander Angeles
Bicol Volcanoes	Monel Kallos	Vis Valencia
GenSan Warriors	Marlon Martin	Jesus Ramon Pido
Imus SV Squad	Renniel Cabrera	Jinino Manansala
Iloilo United Royals	Eric Gonzales	Manu Inigo
Makati OKBet Kings	Vis Valencia	Don Dulay
Manila Stars	Maximino Dayandante, Jr.	Tylon Darjuan
Muntinlupa Cagers	Vincent Salvador	Jack Azcueta
Pasig City MCW Sports	Ogie Gumatay	Boyet Fernandez
Quezon City Toda Aksyon	Alvin Grey	Teng Torcuator
Valenzuela XUR Homes	Lester Alvarez	Jhon Velasquez
Mid-season
Bacolod City of Smiles	Monel Kallos	Vincent Salvador
Bataan Risers	Ricky Dandan	Alex Callueng
Bicol Volcanoes	Vis Valencia	Jason Santiago
Bulacan Kuyas	Alvin Grey Jerry Codinera	Jerry Codinera Joseph Mabagos
GenSan Warriors	Jesus Ramon Pido	Rich Alvarez
Iloilo United Royals	Manu Inigo	MC Abolucion
Manila Stars	Tylon Darjuan Bam Ledesma	Bam Ledesma Bimbot Anquilo
Muntinlupa Cagers	Jack Azcueta	Aldrin Morante
Negros Pau Muscovados	Rolando Aledron, Jr.	Bonnie Garcia
Quezon City Toda Aksyon	Teng Torcuator Weng Adina	Weng Adina Egay Macaraya
San Juan Knights	Randy Alcantara	Jinggoy Estrada
Valenzuela XUR Homes	Jhon Velasquez	Eric Martinez
Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines	Vic Ycasiano	Louie Alas

Pre-season

This season was preceded by the 2023 MPBL Preseason Invitational, which used a similar format to the 2021 Invitational, but downsized because of the smaller eight-team pool. The tournament ran for one week from February 21–27, 2023 at the Lagao Gymnasium in General Santos, the home arena of the GenSan Warriors.[1]

The tournament was won by the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines after beating the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in the final game with a score of 88–80, with Dexter Maiquez winning MVP honors.[3]

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was held on March 11, 2023 at Quezon Convention Center in Lucena, Quezon. Rapper Andrew E. and singer Marcelito Pomoy were both among the performers to kick off the regular season. Like previous seasons, a muse contest followed wherein some teams took part in.

The first game was between the Rizal Golden Coolers and the Bataan Risers, while the first home game featured the two expansion teams this season, with the Quezon Huskers hosting the Negros Muscovados.

Regular season

Format

The 29 teams play in a single round-robin format, playing one game against all other teams in the league for a total of 28 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 will advance 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.

Postponed and cancelled games

The Bacoor City–Bataan and Quezon–Marikina games, originally scheduled for September 22, 2023 at Marikina Sports Center, were postponed due to health concerns brought by volcanic smog. Both were then postponed to October 3, 2023, while the venue remained unchanged.[4]
- The Laguna–Manila game, also originally scheduled for September 22, 2023, was later cancelled due to it having no effect on playoff standings.[4]

North Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	GB	Qualification
1	z – Pampanga Giant Lanterns	28	26	2	—	Playoffs
2	x – Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards	28	23	5	3
3	x – Makati OKBet Kings	28	21	7	5
4	x – Caloocan Batang Kankaloo	28	20	8	6
5	x – Pasig City MCW Sports	28	19[lower-alpha 1]	9	7
6	x – San Juan Knights	28	19[lower-alpha 1]	9	7
7	x – Pasay Voyagers	28	17	11	9
8	x – Marikina Shoemasters	28	16	12	10
9	Bataan Risers	28	13	15	13
10	Rizal Golden Coolers	28	12	16	14
11	Parañaque Patriots	28	11	17	15
12	Bulacan Kuyas	28	7	21	19
13	Manila Stars	27	4	23	21.5
14	Quezon City Toda Aksyon	28	3[lower-alpha 2]	25	23
15	Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc.	28	3[lower-alpha 2]	25	23

Source: Standings
Rules for classification: 1) Wins; 2) Head-to-head record; 3) Head-to-head point differential; 4) Head-to-head points scored; 5) Overall point differential; 6) Overall points scored.
x – Clinched playoff spot; z – Clinched best record in league
Notes:

Head-to-head record: Pasig 1–0 San Juan
Head-to-head record: Quezon City 1–0 Valenzuela

South Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	GB	Qualification
1	y – Bacoor City Strikers	28	23	5	—	Playoffs
2	x – Batangas City Embassy Chill	28	22	6	1
3	x – GenSan Warriors	28	21	7	2
4	x – Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines	28	20	8	3
5	x – Quezon Huskers	28	19	9	4
6	x – Muntinlupa Cagers	28	16	12	7
7	x – Imus SV Squad	28	15	13	8
8	x – Iloilo United Royals	28	12	16	11
9	Bacolod City of Smiles	28	11[lower-alpha 1]	17	12
10	Sarangani Marlins	28	11[lower-alpha 1]	17	12
11	Negros Pau Muscovados	28	10	18	13
12	Mindoro Disiplinados	28	6	22	17
13	Laguna Krah Asia	27	4	23	18.5
14	Bicol Volcanoes	28	1	27	22

Source: Standings
Rules for classification: 1) Wins; 2) Head-to-head record; 3) Head-to-head point differential; 4) Head-to-head points scored; 5) Overall point differential; 6) Overall points scored.
x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched best record in division
Notes:

Head-to-head record: Bacolod 1–0 Sarangani

Results

Teams	BCR	BAN	BTG	BCL	BUL	CAL	GSW	ILO	IMS	LAG	MKT	MNL	MAR	MDR	MUN	NEG	NEC	PAM	PAR	PSY	PSG	QZN	QCC	RZL	SJK	SAR	VAL	ZAM
Bacolod	86–91	73–69	74–105	93–82	85–84	62–67	80–87	73–80	68–74	84–66	58–63	90–86	67–79	69–60	73–72	88–102	72–90	86–103	77–71	63–67	55–61	56–63	91–75	63–72	69–80	95–91	102–98	77–89
Bacoor		93–65	71–64	113–75	78–69	75–84**	74–68	74–69*	60–52	75–65	81–77	76–62	75–55	95–76	74–73	88–72	75–83	70–78	83–58	79–65	72–79	75–43	93–58	86–69	73–49	85–70	76–68	81–92
Bataan			60–72	101–58	65–73	71–77	65–99	89–77	68–75	20–0[lower-alpha 1]	68–65	60–62	76–73	72–66	85–90	67–64	69–72	72–74	92–56	76–77	67–70	64–61	80–68	70–61	84–86	95–77	80–76	55–74
Batangas City				114–66	76–60	80–67	75–58	78–55	70–71	97–62	80–82	94–79	82–56	98–70	90–84*	83–62	56–68	95–92	92–58	69–54	80–73	84–80*	111–63	78–70	76–91	63–56	104–55	74–81
Bicol					107–115	81–109	80–121	77–109	66–107	80–89	56–73	104–113	59–100	96–93	58–84	76–121	86–129	87–132	55–75	68–75	75–115	74–96	81–85	78–82	63–82	65–73	78–82	64–93
Bulacan						58–70	69–87	85–76	66–125	105–114	76–72	68–72	73–118	73–86	61–78	64–66	67–76	88–121	56–69	56–84	110–79	60–73	100–84	70–87	68–108	75–73	75–71	90–111
Caloocan							90–95	91–87*	80–71	101–81	76–72	79–75	67–75	99–74	81–80	84–82	60–67	68–76	86–80	79–62	74–82	64–67	81–49	108–82	68–76	138–59	83–72	93–74
GenSan								86–84	68–64	89–77	72–79	82–70	85–80	87–78	60–67	88–74	93–97	81–83*	89–82	89–55	91–76	89–71	118–77	80–78	83–88	114–92	109–86	74–71
Iloilo									58–61	57–55	80–87	70–66	71–83	86–79	80–72	78–82	74–80	66–93	79–92	84–85	63–75	73–64	77–51	78–75	73–75	100–98	82–79	86–80
Imus										64–48	83–84*	72–66	103–89	96–74	90–80	88–83*	63–84	72–93	81–86	68–74	60–79	75–77	79–58	65–71	82–93	90–87	80–66	54–71
Laguna											67–72	—[lower-alpha 2]	87–94	74–78	62–70	72–76*	70–97	85–109	74–68	78–88	72–84	76–101	102–94	71–75	63–110	85–101	69–73	62–92
Makati												86–64	73–71	77–60	66–67	75–86	68–61	102–97*	76–65	76–61	75–70	72–80	92–70	81–73	95–84	113–88	86–60	95–75
Manila													77–79	78–80	74–85	60–69	98–107	63–91	72–74	70–77	77–89	62–73	90–100*	94–98	85–109	64–81	93–83	80–105
Marikina														96–90	75–79*	69–58	86–88*	75–83	95–89	72–75*	66–71	73–70	89–50	90–70	75–73	103–105*	81–68	74–71
Mindoro															75–84	77–92	69–84	70–91	80–84	86–89*	79–88	80–85	79–77	68–75	100–116	107–97	110–93	83–102
Muntinlupa																77–71	67–71	73–87	73–63	71–72	87–84*	78–85	76–43	64–69	91–90	105–104*	89–79	67–89
Negros																	72–94	66–79	74–78	73–79	76–85	80–82	77–61	69–78	66–73	103–109*	94–75	71–72
Nueva Ecija																		64–76	91–74	88–79	69–65	86–87*	95–53	87–70	99–97*	123–134**	107–78	65–67
Pampanga																			88–82	108–89	81–66	83–60	115–79	93–80	89–73	99–92	79–55	77–71
Parañaque																				79–98	58–96	61–75	87–73	79–80	82–88	77–75	84–75	86–77*
Pasay																					64–77	49–64	72–64	65–59	75–74	69–84	89–60	66–77
Pasig City																						58–74	96–72	82–64	90–75	65–82	85–62	93–95*
Quezon																							81–63	74–73	69–98	87–92*	89–77	70–66
Quezon City																								66–102	77–113	68–94	88–79	66–99
Rizal																									65–79	77–71	80–85	57–74
San Juan																										103–87	115–86	66–80
Sarangani																											107–98	63–83
Valenzuela																												54–98
Zamboanga

Source: Standings
Legend: Blue = left column team win; Red = top row team win.
Matches with lighter background shading were decided after overtime.
Notes:

The Bataan–Laguna game was forfeited due to Laguna's late arrival. As per FIBA rules, Bataan won the game and was awarded a score of 20–0.
The Laguna–Manila game, originally scheduled for September 22, 2023, was going to be postponed due to health concerns brought by volcanic smog. It was later cancelled due to it having no effect on playoff standings.

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. Dates are subject to change.

Playoffs

The 2023 MPBL playoffs began on October 6, 2023.

Bracket

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 homecourt advantage, the higher-seeded team, are shown in italics.

First Round
(Best-of-3)

Division Semifinals
(Best-of-3)

Division Finals
(Best-of-3)

National Finals
(Best-of-5)

N1

Pampanga

2

N8

Marikina

0

N1

Pampanga

N4

Caloocan

N4

Caloocan

2

N5

Pasig City

1

North Division

N2

Nueva Ecija

2

N7

Pasay

0

N2

Nueva Ecija

N6

San Juan

N3

Makati

0

N6

San Juan

2

S1

Bacoor City

2

S8

Iloilo

1

S1

Bacoor City

S4

Zamboanga

S4

Zamboanga

2

S5

Quezon

1

South Division

S2

Batangas City

2

S7

Imus

0

S2

Batangas City

S3

General Santos

S3

General Santos

2

S6

Muntinlupa

1

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

Due to Pampanga and Nueva Ecija both advancing, and San Juan eliminating Makati all in game 2, Caloocan instead hosted game 3.

Team 1	Series	Team 2	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3
(1) Pampanga Giant Lanterns	2–0	(8) Marikina Shoemasters	82–70	81–61	—
(2) Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards	2–0	(7) Pasay Voyagers	85–81	71–62	—
(3) Makati OKBet Kings	0–2	(6) San Juan Knights	84–95	92–95 (2OT)	—
(4) Caloocan Batang Kankaloo	2–1	(5) Pasig City MCW Sports	71–69	61–65	68–60

South Division First Round

Team 1	Series	Team 2	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3
(1) Bacoor City Strikers	2–1	(8) Iloilo United Royals	86–89	92–52	72–61
(2) Batangas City Embassy Chill	2–0	(7) Imus SV Squad	78–71	61–59	—
(3) GenSan Warriors	2–1	(6) Muntinlupa Cagers	79–70	91–99	85–78
(4) Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines	2–1	(5) Quezon Huskers	77–68	58–65	88–76

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

Team 1	Series	Team 2	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3
(1) Pampanga Giant Lanterns	–	(4) Caloocan Batang Kankaloo
(2) Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards	–	(6) San Juan Knights

South Division Semifinals

Team 1	Series	Team 2	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3
(1) Bacoor City Strikers	–	(4) Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines
(2) Batangas City Embassy Chill	–	(3) GenSan Warriors

All-Star Game

The 2023 MPBL All-Star Game, the league's fourth overall, took place on September 16, 2023 at the Bataan People's Center in Balanga, Bataan, the home arena of the Bataan Risers. The North Division finally won against the South Division after three seasons, with a score of 99–91, with All-Star MVP honors going to Justine Baltazar.

Lineups

The two coaches of each division's top-seeded team up to that point coached the all-star rosters of their respective divisions. On September 1, 2023, it was revealed that Governor Dennis Pineda of the Pampanga Giant Lanterns will coach the North All-Stars, and Alex Angeles of the Bacoor City Strikers will coach the South All-Stars.

The South Division reserves were announced on September 9, 2023. Former MVP John Wilson of the GenSan Warriors earned his second all-star selection alongside Marco Balagtas of the Muntinlupa Cagers, the latter joined teammate and first-time all-star JL Delos Santos. CJ Catapusan and Renzo Navarro both made their all-star debuts for Iloilo while Lucena mayor Mark Alcala earned his first selection for Quezon. Bacoor City's James Kwekuteye, Batangas City's Mark Neil Cruz, Imus's Jimboy Estrada, and Zamboanga's Joseph Gabayni also earned their first all-star selections.

The South Division starters were announced on September 10, 2023. Kyt Jimenez of the GenSan Warriors and reigning MVP Jaycee Marcelino of the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines started for the second straight season after earning their second all-star selections. Starters that also made their first appearance in the All-Star Game include Bacoor City's Michael Cañete, Batangas City's Jeckster Apinan, and Imus's Poypoy Actub.

The North Division reserves were announced on September 11, 2023. Troy Mallillin of the Rizal Golden Coolers made his second all-star appearance alongside teammate Jboy Gob, who made his first all-star appearance. Representing the hosting Bataan Risers was first-time all-star Yves Sazon. All joining the All-Star Game for the first time were Bulacan's Rence Alcoriza, Makati's Emman Calo, Marikina's Felipe Chavez, Nueva Ecija's Roi Sumang, Pasig City's Jason Ballesteros and Ryan Costello, and San Juan's Adrian Nocum.

The North Division starters were announced on September 12, 2023. Robby Celiz of the Makati OKBet Kings and Will McAloney of the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards made their second all-star appearance, with the former also earning his first starter selection. The Pampanga duo of Justine Baltazar and Encho Serrano made their all-star debuts alongside San Juan's Orlan Wamar Jr.

The South Division replacements were announced on September 15, 2023. Jhan Nermal of the Bacoor City Strikers started in place of injured teammate Michael Cañete. Iloilo's CJ Catapusan opted out for personal reasons and was replaced by teammate Josh Flores as a reserve. Muntinlupa's John Amores took the reserve spot of JL Delos Santos due to the latter's collegiate commitments with José Rizal University.

North All-Stars
Pos	Player	Team
Starters
	Justine Baltazar	Pampanga Giant Lanterns
	Robby Celiz	Makati OKBet Kings
	Will McAloney	Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards
	Encho Serrano	Pampanga Giant Lanterns
	Orlan Wamar Jr.	San Juan Knights
Reserves
	Rence Alcoriza	Bulacan Kuyas
	Jason Ballesteros	Pasig City MCW Sports
	Emman Calo	Makati OKBet Kings
	Felipe Chavez	Marikina Shoemasters
	Ryan Costello	Pasig City MCW Sports
	Jboy Gob	Rizal Golden Coolers
	Troy Mallillin	Rizal Golden Coolers
	Adrian Nocum	San Juan Knights
	Yves Sazon	Bataan Risers
	Roi Sumang	Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards
Head coach: Dennis Pineda (Pampanga Giant Lanterns)

South All-Stars
Pos	Player	Team
Starters
	Poypoy Actub	Imus SV Squad
	Jeckster Apinan	Batangas City Embassy Chill
	Kyt Jimenez	GenSan Warriors
	Jaycee Marcelino	Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines
	Jhan Nermal[lower-alpha 1]	Bacoor City Strikers
Reserves
	Mark Alcala	Quezon Huskers
	John Amores[lower-alpha 2]	Muntinlupa Cagers
	Marco Balagtas	Muntinlupa Cagers
	Mark Neil Cruz	Batangas City Embassy Chill
	Jimboy Estrada	Imus SV Squad
	Josh Flores[lower-alpha 3]	Iloilo United Royals
	Joseph Gabayni	Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines
	James Kwekuteye	Bacoor City Strikers
	Renzo Navarro	Iloilo United Royals
	John Wilson	GenSan Warriors
Head coach: Alex Angeles (Bacoor City Strikers)

Notes

Michael Cañete was initially announced as a starter but was replaced by Jhan Nermal due to injury.
JL Delos Santos was initially announced as a reserve but was replaced by John Amores due to collegiate commitments.
CJ Catapusan was initially announced as a reserve but was replaced by Josh Flores due to personal reasons.

Game

One PH
Media Pilipinas TV

September 16

North All-Stars	99–91	South All-Stars
Scoring by quarter: 31–21, 24–19, 15–28, 29–13

Bataan People's Center, Balanga, Bataan

Pre-game events

Before the game itself, a series of events preceded it, all returning from the previous edition. These include the Executives' Game, Three-Point Shootout, and Slam Dunk Showdown.

Executives' Game

MPBL founder Manny Pacquiao his second Excutives' Game MVP award as the South Executives defeated the North Executives for the first time with a score of 114–63.

North Executives
Representative	Team
Lavin Castro	Pasay Voyagers
Xandrei Cruz	Rizal Golden Coolers
Ronnie Dojillo	Caloocan Batang Kankaloo
Don Dulay	Makati OKBet Kings
Jinggoy Estrada	San Juan Knights
Aurelio Gonzales III	Pampanga Giant Lanterns
Alfonso Kaw	Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards
Cezar Mancao	Manila Stars
Jett Nisay	Bataan Risers
Voltaire Ora	Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc.
Richard Rosales	Pasig City MCW Sports
JC Tan	Quezon City Toda Aksyon
Elvis Tolentino	Marikina Shoemasters
Jemal Vizcarra	Parañaque Patriots
Rhonz Yuzon	Bulacan Kuyas
Head coach: Francis Ocampo (Rizal Golden Coolers)

South Executives
Representative	Team
Ross Alvarez	Bacolod City of Smiles
Emmanuel Anonuevo	Laguna Krah Asia
Nini Arquiza	Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines
Marlou Aquino	Bacoor City Strikers
Jojo Cunanan	Imus SV Squad
Mermann Flores	GenSan Warriors
Kaizer Galvez	Muntinlupa Cagers
John Gilbor	Negros Muscovados
Jay Javelosa	Iloilo United Royals
Ralph Lim	Quezon Huskers
Manny Pacquiao	N/A (MPBL founder)
Ruel Pacquiao	Sarangani Marlins
Gerry Tee	Batangas City Embassy Chill
Bengie Teodoro	Mindoro Disiplinados
Denzel Wong	Bicol Volcanoes
Head coach: Cris Conwi (Bacoor City Strikers)

Game

Media Pilipinas TV

September 16

North Executives

63–114

South Executives

Bataan People's Center, Balanga, Bataan

Three-Point Shooutout

**Contestants**
Player	Team	First round	Final round
Orlan Wamar Jr.	San Juan Knights	21	20
Domark Matillano	Bacolod City of Smiles	17	18
Robbie Manalang	Pasig City MCW Sports	19	14
Levi Hernandez	Batangas City Embassy Chill	16	DNQ
Jonathan Uyloan	Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards	16
Al Francis Tamsi	Quezon Huskers	15
Joshua Santos	Bataan Risers	14
Enzo Joson	GenSan Warriors	13
James Castro	Bataan Risers	12
John Umali	Parañaque Patriots	12
Jeramer Cabanag	Caloocan Batang Kankaloo	10
Jayson Apolonio	Pampanga Giant Lanterns	7
Val Acuña	Muntinlupa Cagers	DNP

Notes

Player highlighted in gold is the event's defending champion.
Players highlighted in green are contestants from the hosting team.

Slam Dunk Showdown

**Contestants**
Player	Team	First round	Final round
CJ Gania	Pampanga Giant Lanterns	89 (41+48)	50
Justine Guevarra	Bulacan Kuyas	90 (48+42)	45
Poypoy Actub	Imus SV Squad	99 (50+49)	32
Ximone Xandagon	Quezon Huskers	85 (44+41)	DNQ
Mike Alvarez	GenSan Warriors	75 (38+37)	DNQ
Val Fornilos	Marikina Shoemasters	DNP
Alex Ramos	Bataan Risers
Rhinwil Yambing	San Juan Knights

Notes

Players highlighted in green are contestants from the hosting team.

Records and milestones

Records

May 30, 2023 – Justine Baltazar of the Pampanga Giant Lanterns broke the single-game rebounding record, with 27 rebounds against the Bataan Risers.[5]
June 3, 2023:
- Jeff Viernes of the Sarangani Marlins broke the single-game scoring record, with 50 points against the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, beating the previous record held by John Wilson in 2019.[6]
- Sarangani won 134–123, putting an end to Nueva Ecija's 32-game regular season winning streak, which began at the start of the 2022 season. The 257 total points scored between the two teams is also the most such in a single game.[6]
August 2, 2023 – Poypoy Actub of the Imus SV Squad broke the single-game dunking record, with 7 dunks against the Bulacan Kuyas.[7]
September 30, 2023 – The Pampanga Giant Lanterns tied the record for most wins in a single season, earning its 26th win against the San Juan Knights. The San Juan Knights and Davao Occidental Tigers both had 26 wins in the 2019–20 season.

Milestones

March 11, 2023 – James Castro becomes the 14th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
March 20, 2023 – Chito Jaime becomes the 15th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
March 25, 2023 – Allan Mangahas becomes the 16th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
March 27, 2023 – Alwyn Alday becomes the 17th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
March 30, 2023 – Felix Apreku becomes the second player to reach 1,000 MPBL career rebounds.
May 22, 2023 – Mark Montuano becomes the 18th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
May 27, 2023 – Chris Bitoon becomes the 19th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
May 30, 2023 – Dhon Reverente becomes the 20th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
June 7, 2023:
- Paul Sanga becomes the 21st player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
- Reil Cervantes becomes the 22nd player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
- James Martinez becomes the 23rd player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
June 26, 2023 – Dhon Reverente becomes the second player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points and rebounds.
July 5, 2023 – Jeff Viernes becomes the 24th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
August 18, 2023 – Robin Roño becomes the 25th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
October 14, 2023 – Jhaymo Eguilos becomes the 26th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
October 24, 2023 – Dave Moralde becomes the 27th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.

Statistics

Individual statistical leaders

Statistics as of October 21, 2023
Category	Player	Team	Statistic
Points per game	Jeff Viernes	Sarangani Marlins	17.7
Rebounds per game	Justine Baltazar	Pampanga Giant Lanterns	16.8
Assists per game	Paulo Hubalde	Mindoro Disiplinados	8.3
Steals per game	Jeckster Apinan	Batangas City Embassy Chill	2.4
Blocks per game	Jason Ballesteros	Pasig City MCW Sports	1.5
Fouls per game	Jamil Gabawan	Bataan Risers	3.2
Minutes per game	Justine Baltazar	Pampanga Giant Lanterns	30.7
FG%	Justine Baltazar	Pampanga Giant Lanterns	54.2%
FT%	Rafael Are	Sarangani Marlins	83.1%
3FG%	Rodel Vaygan	Mindoro Disiplinados	43.7%

Team statistical leaders

Statistics as of October 21, 2023
Category	Team	Statistic
Points per game	Pampanga Giant Lanterns	91.1
Rebounds per game	Pampanga Giant Lanterns	56.5
Assists per game	Pampanga Giant Lanterns Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards	25.9
Steals per game	Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards	10.5
Blocks per game	Marikina Shoemasters	3.9
Turnovers per game	Bicol Volcanoes	17.8

Awards

Players of the Week

For the first time in league history, the Player of the Week is given during the playoffs, where it is known as the Playoffs Performer of the Week.

List of players of the week
Week	Player	Stat Line
Regular season
March 11–18, 2023	Jerick Nacpil (Bulacan Kuyas)	22.0 Points 10.0 Rebounds
March 19–26, 2023	Jimboy Estrada (Imus SV Squad)	26.0 Points 5.0 Rebounds 6.0 Assists 3.0 Steals
March 27–April 1, 2023	Shane Menina (Pasig City MCW Sports)	17.5 Points 4.0 Rebounds 3.5 Assists 2.5 Steals
April 13–15, 2023	Troy Mallillin (Rizal Golden Coolers)	22.0 Points 14.0 Rebounds
April 16–23, 2023	Laurenz Victoria (Pasay Voyagers)	26.0 Points 4.0 Assists 3.0 Steals
April 24–29, 2023	Agem Miranda (Oriental Mindoro Disiplinados)	33.0 Points 11.0 Rebounds 13.0 Assists
April 30–May 6, 2023	Justine Baltazar (Pampanga Giant Lanterns)	26.0 Points 22.0 Rebounds
May 7–13, 2023	Justine Baltazar (2) (Pampanga Giant Lanterns)	23.5 Points 16.5 Rebounds 2.0 Steals 1.5 Blocks
May 14–21, 2023	Justine Baltazar (3) (Pampanga Giant Lanterns)	20.5 Points 23.5 Rebounds 4.0 Assists 2.5 Blocks
May 22–28, 2023	Jhan Nermal (Bacoor City Strikers)	23.0 Points 5/7 3FGs
May 29–June 4, 2023	Jeff Viernes (Sarangani Marlins)	50.0 Points 8.0 Assists 9/14 3FGs
June 5–11, 2023	Justine Baltazar (4) (Pampanga Giant Lanterns)	16.5 Points 15.5 Rebounds 6.0 Assists
June 12–18, 2023	Jhan Nermal (2) (Bacoor City Strikers)	24.0 Points 14.0 Rebounds 3.0 Assists
June 19–24, 2023	Jaymar Gimpayan (Imus SV Squad)	19.0 Points 21.0 Rebounds 5.0 Assists 5.0 Blocks
June 25–July 2, 2023	Justine Baltazar (5) (Pampanga Giant Lanterns)	21.0 Points 22.5 Rebounds 4.5 Assists
July 3–9, 2023	Ryan Costelo (Pasig City MCW Sports)	38.0 Points 7.0 Rebounds 4.0 Assists
July 10–16, 2023	Omar Larupay (Iloilo United Royals)	19.0 Points 17.0 Rebounds
July 17–22, 2023	Justine Baltazar (6) (Pampanga Giant Lanterns)	14.0 Points 17.0 Rebounds
July 23–30, 2023	Mark Sarangay (Bacolod Maskaras)	14.0 Points 17.0 Rebounds
July 30–August 6, 2023	Keith Agovida (Makati OKBet Kings)	21.0 Points 7.0 Rebounds 2.0 Assists
August 7–13, 2023	Poypoy Actub (Imus SV Squad)	22.0 Points 3.0 Rebounds 3.0 Assists
August 14–20, 2023	Yves Sazon (Bataan Risers)	21.0 Points 4.0 Rebounds 2.5 Steals
September 11–14, 2023	Ian Melencio (Muntinlupa Cagers)	14.0 Points 11.0 Rebounds 2.0 Steals
September 16–24, 2023	Rodel Gravera (Quezon Huskers)	21.0 Points 10.0 Rebounds 7/12 FGs
Playoffs
October 6–7, 2023	Gabby Espinas (Caloocan Batang Kankaloo)	13.0 Points 12.0 Rebounds 4.0 Assists
October 9–14, 2023	Robbie Manalang (Pasig City MCW Sports)	23.0 Points 2.0 Assists 3.0 Steals
October 16–21, 2023	Ian Melencio (Muntinlupa Cagers)	16.0 Points 14.0 Rebounds 8.0 Assists

Notable events

July 9, 2023 – The MPBL's youth division, the Junior MPBL, commenced with the opening ceremonies at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. This is then followed by a series of games between the Quezon City 828 Junior Giants and Malabon Fisher Mall BBSD.[8]
August 8, 2023 – The Bataan–Laguna game was forfeited in Bataan's favor, marking the first time in league history that a game was forfeited in its entirety. (The Basilan–Davao Occidental playoff game in 2021 was classified as "defaulted".)[9]
September 17, 2023 – Over 30 MPBL players were drafted during the PBA Season 48 draft, a big increase from the seven drafted in Season 47. Nueva Ecija's Kemark Cariño was the first MPBL player and first local player drafted, picked 13th overall by the Terrafirma Dyip during the second round.[10]

Media

This season marks the second year of Cignal TV's ongoing television broadcast rights with the league. Carrying over from the previous season, games are still broadcast on One PH and One Sports+, the latter was only used for the Invitational tournament. Since April 13, Media Pilipinas TV (MPTV) began broadcasting all games.

This season sees an expansion of the league's streaming portfolio. Cignal's Pilipinas Live began streaming games in June 2023, while Bola.TV began in August 2023. The league continued to broadcast its games on Facebook, YouTube, and Cignal Play.

References

"MPBL welcomes Quezon Province, Negros Muscovados". Manila Bulletin. January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
Aquino, Roselle (February 17, 2023). "OKBet continues to support sports, promote responsible gaming". The Manila Times. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
"Zamboanga rules MPBL Preseason Cup". Philstar.com. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
"MPBL games in Marikina cancelled due to Metro Manila smog". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
"Baltazar hauls MPBL record 27 rebounds as Pampanga stretches win streak". Philstar.com. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
"Viernes sets MPBL record 50 points in Sarangani's 2OT win". Philstar.com. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
"MPBL: Actub leads Imus dunk fest as Pasig, Marikina triumph". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
Matel, Philip (July 10, 2023). "Junior MPBL seeks expansion after maiden season". RAPPLER. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
"Laguna loses MPBL game by default after arriving 45 minutes late". spin.ph. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
"What does Season 48 PBA Rookie Draft mean for Philippine basketball?". ESPN.com. September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[table_hth_PSG0.30903480542313-5] Head-to-head record: Pasig 1–0 San Juan

[table_hth_QCC0.30903480542313-6] Head-to-head record: Quezon City 1–0 Valenzuela

[table_hth_BCD0.73336448927101-7] Head-to-head record: Bacolod 1–0 Sarangani

[table_note_1_BAN_LAG0.0058788163614826-8] The Bataan–Laguna game was forfeited due to Laguna's late arrival. As per FIBA rules, Bataan won the game and was awarded a score of 20–0.

[table_note_1_LAG_MNL0.0058788163614826-9] The Laguna–Manila game, originally scheduled for September 22, 2023, was going to be postponed due to health concerns brought by volcanic smog. It was later cancelled due to it having no effect on playoff standings.

[Bacoor-10] Michael Cañete was initially announced as a starter but was replaced by Jhan Nermal due to injury.

[Muntinlupa-11] JL Delos Santos was initially announced as a reserve but was replaced by John Amores due to collegiate commitments.

[Iloilo-12] CJ Catapusan was initially announced as a reserve but was replaced by Josh Flores due to personal reasons.

[mnlbull-1] "MPBL welcomes Quezon Province, Negros Muscovados". Manila Bulletin. January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.

[2] Aquino, Roselle (February 17, 2023). "OKBet continues to support sports, promote responsible gaming". The Manila Times. Retrieved March 11, 2023.

[3] "Zamboanga rules MPBL Preseason Cup". Philstar.com. Retrieved October 7, 2023.

[:1-4] "MPBL games in Marikina cancelled due to Metro Manila smog". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 30, 2023.

[13] "Baltazar hauls MPBL record 27 rebounds as Pampanga stretches win streak". Philstar.com. Retrieved June 3, 2023.

[viernes_record-14] "Viernes sets MPBL record 50 points in Sarangani's 2OT win". Philstar.com. Retrieved June 3, 2023.

[15] "MPBL: Actub leads Imus dunk fest as Pasig, Marikina triumph". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 3, 2023.

[16] Matel, Philip (July 10, 2023). "Junior MPBL seeks expansion after maiden season". RAPPLER. Retrieved August 27, 2023.

[17] "Laguna loses MPBL game by default after arriving 45 minutes late". spin.ph. Retrieved August 9, 2023.

[18] "What does Season 48 PBA Rookie Draft mean for Philippine basketball?". ESPN.com. September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.

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