The Holster Feature: PPL: The First Score (Part 1)
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For BuzzerBeater managers, the goal for each season is to win in whatever division they are in. The ultimate goal however, is to reach the top flight – the best league in the country. And for Pilipinas BB managers, it can be translated into three simple letters – PPL.
Amongst the thousands of teams in the country (although less than a thousand are active), only 16 teams have the privilege to compete in the highest level of basketball in Pilipinas BB. And for 20 seasons, the league has seen the competition increase, as well as the development of rivalries, the establishment and deterioration of dynasties and every significant game in between. This feature attempts to look at the history of the PPL as we look back on its 20 seasons.
The Early Seasons
When the PPL opened shop during BB’s Season 3, although the league was yet to be as popular to the fanbase as it is now, provided thrilling games as evidenced by the very first PPL game, when a Rosauro Tupas three-pointer off a Hansen Suguilon won the game for Air 21 Express as they escaped the CNU Yellow Marooners, 87-84 in an arena containing of only 632 people. The game would serve as the preview of the eventual title holders as the Express went all the way to win the inaugural championship, trouncing the RED ROBINS in two games.
But the Express victory would prove to be a one-time deal as they only managed to finish fifth the next season, which saw the rise of the Ateneo Jologs to the top of the PPL, upsetting favorites Celestial Fury in a momentum swinging, three game series after the latter had won all but one of their elimination round games.
The First Rivalry
Yes, when we are given our new BB team or when we get promoted to a higher division, we do get to have assigned rivals. But there is no denying that there were two rival teams in the early seasons of the PPL that wrestled with the League title, these were the TrailBlazers United and Jubas Beasts – the first PPL rivalry.
It began in Season 5 when the two teams met in the Finals that season. Although the first two games were blowout wins by each team, the third game was a nail-biter as TrailBlazers United, who were trailing most of the game, used a furious fourth-quarter run to win the title. This would start a back-and-forth between the two teams over the PPL title starting the next season as they faced off again in the Championship Round. This time, the series went to Jubas Beasts via sweep, but not without some late-game drama as the title-clinching game went down the wire as Amante Iratagotia made up for the shooting foul he had committed in a previous play by connecting on an elbow jumper with 30 ticks remaining.
Season 7, they meet again as they look to even the score between the two of them. Having split the last two titles between the two of them it was logical to have an informal “tiebreaker”. The series went the distance yet again, and the rubber match did not disappoint. However, Jubas Beasts managed to execute better in the end game as they kept United at bay to secure their second League championship. The win made them the very first repeat champions in PPL history.
But just as they were looking to establish a dynasty in the PPL, they were shut down by United in their fourth Finals matchup in as many seasons. Although the first game was won by United by a close margin, 107-103, the second game became a shellacking of the reigning champions as their grasp of the title melted right before their eyes. Game 2 ended 147-107, with eight United players scoring in double figures. This Season 8 Finals series would prove to be the last time they would be meeting in the grand stage.