1996 PBA Commissioner's Cup
The 1996 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner's Cup was the second conference of the 1996 PBA season. It started on June 14 and ended on September 10, 1996. The tournament is an Import-laden format, which requires an import or a pure-foreign player for each team with a 6'7" height limit.
| 1996 PBA Commissioner's Cup | |
|---|---|
| Duration | June 14 - September 10, 1996 |
| TV partner(s) | Vintage Sports (IBC) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Alaska Milkmen |
| Runners-up | Formula Shell Zoom Masters |
| Awards | |
| Best Player | Bong Hawkins (Alaska) |
| Best Import | Ken Redfield (Formula Shell) |
| Finals MVP | Bong Hawkins (Alaska) |
| PBA Commissioner's Cup chronology | |
| PBA conference chronology | |
Format
The following format will be observed for the duration of the conference:
- The teams were divided into 2 groups.
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Group A:
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Group B:
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- Teams in a group will play against each other once and against teams in the other group twice; 10 games per team; Teams are then seeded by basis on win-loss records. Ties are broken among point differentials of the tied teams. Standings will be determined in one league table; teams do not qualify by basis of groupings. [1]
- The top five teams after the eliminations will advance to the semifinals.
- Semifinals will be two round robin affairs with the remaining five teams. Results from the eliminations will be carried over. A playoff incentive for a finals berth will be given to the team that will win at least five of their eight semifinal games.
- The top two teams (or the top team and the winner of the playoff incentive) will face each other in a best-of-seven championship series. The next two teams (or the loser of the playoff incentive and the fourth seeded team) dispute the third-place trophy in a one-game playoff.
Elimination round
Team standings
| Qualified for semifinals |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska Milkmen | 8 | 2 | .800 | -- | |
| 2 | Sta. Lucia Realtors | 6 | 4 | .600 | 2 | |
| 3 | Ginebra San Miguel | 6 | 4 | .600 | 2 | |
| 4 | Formula Shell Zoom Masters | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | |
| 5 | Purefoods TJ Hotdogs | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 |  |
| 6 | Sunkist Orange Bottlers | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 |  |
| 7 | San Miguel Beermen | 4 | 6 | .400 | 4 | |
| 8 | Mobiline Cellulars | 1 | 9 | .100 | 7 |
Note: Shell automatically advanced to the semifinals due to a higher winning quotient
Seeding playoffs
Semifinal round
Team standings
| Qualified for finals | |
| Qualified for finals playoff | |
| Qualified for battle-for-third |
| # | Team | Cumulative | SF | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | PCT | GB | W | L | ||
| 1 | Alaska Milkmen | 14 | 4 | .778 | –- | 6 | 2 |
| 2 | Ginebra San Miguel | 12 | 6 | .667 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 3 | Formula Shell Zoom Masters | 10 | 8 | .556 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | Sta. Lucia Realtors | 8 | 10 | .444 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Purefoods TJ Hotdogs | 6 | 12 | .333 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
Finals seed playoff
Bal David sank a three-point shot, putting the Gins on with the lead, 86-83 with 17 seconds left in the game. Richie Ticson however also made a three pointer tying the game again, 86-all with 10.5 seconds left.
After calling a timeout to design the last play, Henry James opted to try a three pointer after an inbound pass from Vince Hizon. James' shot was blocked by Benjie Paras and picked up by Kenny Redfield, making a buzzer beating three point shot, thus winning the game for them, 89-86. [2]
Battle for third
August 27 |
| Sta. Lucia Realtors 111, Ginebra San Miguel 106 | ||
| Sta. Lucia wins third place trophy. |
Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City |
Finals
September 10 |
| Alaska Milkmen 83, Formula Shell 77 | ||
| Alaska wins series, 4-3 |
Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City |
References
- "Purefoods still alive, ousts SMB". Ismael Amigo, Manila Standard, July 22, 1996.
- "Shell knocks out Ginebra". Ismael Amigo, Manila Standard, August 26, 1996.
External links
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