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The 2020–21 MPBL playoffs, originally billed as the 2020 MPBL playoffs and also known as the MPBL Lakan Cup playoffs, was the postseason tournament of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League's 2019–20 season, the league's third overall, and the second under the 16-team format. The postseason tournament began on February 15, 2020 and concluded on March 21, 2021, after the fourth game of the 2021 MPBL finals. The league suspended all the playoffs due to the COVID-19 outbreak in March 12, 2020. After a year of stoppage of play, the league got an approval from the IATF-EID and resumed the playoffs on March 10, 2021, inside a bubble hosted by Subic.

The 2021 MPBL finals saw the Northern Division champions San Juan Knights competed against the Southern Division champion Davao Occidental Tigers. The Tigers eventually won the championship after beating the Knights in four games, avenging their last season's finals loss in 2019. Mark Yee was named the Finals MVP for that finals series.

Overview

Updates to playoff appearances

• The San Juan Knights entered the playoffs for the second consecutive season and clinched the best record in the league for the first time in team history.
• The Davao Occidental Tigers entered the playoffs for the second consecutive season and clinched the best record in the South Division for the second consecutive season.
• The Bataan Risers, Batangas City Athletics, and Bulacan Kuyas entered the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
• The Bacoor City Strikers, GenSan Warriors, Makati Super Crunch, Manila Stars, and Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines entered the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
• The Basilan Steel, Bicol Volcanoes, Iloilo United Royals, Pampanga Giant Lanterns, Pasay Voyagers, and Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors entered the playoffs for the first time in team history.
• The Muntinlupa Cagers, Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines, and Quezon City Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time since entering the league and making the playoffs since then.

Division semifinals

• Davao Occidental beat Zamboanga in game 1 with a score of 47–28. At just 75 points, it is the least combined points scored by both teams in a single game.
  • Zamboanga's 28 points is also least points scored by a team in a single game.
• After the first half, the score was 19–11, the 30 combined points is also the least combined points scored by both teams in a single half.

Format

The top eight teams from each division advanced to the playoffs. Seeding was based on winning percentage, with tiebreaker rules applied should multiple teams have the same record. The single-elimination bracket consists of four rounds with no reseeding. The first three rounds were best-of-three series and the national finals was a best-of-five series.

During the first two rounds, two games within the same division were played in a gameday, with homecourt advantage alternating between the higher-seeded teams of each series. A traditional homecourt format was then used for the last two rounds, with the division finals using a 1-1-1 format and the national finals using a 2-2-1 format. The designated home team may not be able to play within its home locality. Should it occur, the gameday may take place elsewhere.

Division standings

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 home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.

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First round

Northern Division

(1) San Juan Knights vs. (8) Pasay Voyagers

This is the first playoff meeting between the Knights and the Voyagers.

(2) Manila Stars vs. (7) Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors

This is the first playoff meeting between the Stars and the Realtors.

(3) Makati Super Crunch vs. (6) Bulacan Kuyas

This is the first playoff meeting between the Kuyas and the Super Crunch.

(4) Pampanga Giant Lanterns vs. (5) Bataan Risers

This is the first playoff meeting between the Giant Lanterns and the Risers.

Southern Division

(1) Davao Occidental Tigers vs. (8) Bicol Volcanoes

This is the first playoff meeting between the Tigers and the Volcanoes.

(2) Bacoor City Strikers vs. (7) GenSan Warriors

This is the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Strikers winning the first one.

(3) Basilan Steel vs. (6) Iloilo United Royals

This is the first playoff meeting between the Steel and United Royals.

(4) Batangas City Athletics vs. (5) Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines

This is the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Athletics winning the first one.

Division semifinals

Northern Division

(1) San Juan Knights vs. (4) Pampanga Giant Lanterns

This is the first playoff meeting between the Knights and Lanterns.

(2) Manila Stars vs. (3) Makati Super Crunch

This is the first playoff meeting between the Stars and the Super Crunch.

Southern Division

(1) Davao Occidental Tigers vs. (5) Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines

This is the first playoff meeting between the Tigers and the Valientes.

(2) Bacoor City Strikers vs. (3) Basilan Steel

This is the first playoff meeting between the Steel and the Strikers.

Division finals

North Division finals

(1) San Juan Knights vs. (3) Makati Super Crunch

Game 3 of the North Division finals was heavily affected in the San Juan Knights' favor as the Makati Super Crunch entered this game with only a five-man roster. Financial troubles amid the COVID-19 pandemic caused key players of the Makati side to not play for the team in the crucial do-or-die game.

South Division finals

(1) Davao Occidental Tigers vs. (3) Basilan Steel

This game was originally going to be postponed after a player from the Basilan Steel tested positive from COVID-19. The league decided that should another member of the Basilan delegation test positive, the game would be defaulted and Davao Occidental would win the series and the division title. On March 16, the league announced that an additional two members of the Basilan delegation were also tested positive from the virus. As a result, the game, the series, and the division title were all awarded in favor of Davao Occidental by default. As per FIBA rules, the game was ruled as a 2–0 victory for Davao Occidental.

2021 MPBL finals: (N1) San Juan Knights vs. (S1) Davao Occidental Tigers

The San Juan Knights and the Davao Occidental Tigers competed in the MPBL finals to determine the third MPBL Champions. This was the first championship series to be held entirely inside a bubble, hosted by Subic. The series was a rematch of the last season's finals between both teams, with San Juan winning last year's championship in five games. The Tigers avenged their last season's finals loss against the Knights, defeating them in four games to win the title.

This is the second finals meeting between the Knights and the Tigers, with the Knights winning the first one.

Broadcast notes

As part of the broadcast deal, ABS-CBN held the broadcast rights for the entire playoff series. Prior to the suspension, all games were split between the network's sports channels, S+A and Liga. During the midst of the suspension, ABS-CBN's franchise expired, thus all post-suspension games were aired on A2Z, formed via a blocktime agreement with ZOE Broadcasting Network.

Notes

1. Game was played behind closed doors due to concerns over the COVID-19.

References

1. "MPBL: Playoffs suspended indefinitely in wake of COVID-19 threat". ABS-CBN News. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
2. De La Pena, Leobert Julian (6 March 2021). "MPBL gets IATF green light to stage bubble in Subic". Daily Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
3. Giongco, Mark (6 March 2021). "MPBL set to resume division finals on March 10". Inquirer.net. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
4. Terrado, Reuben (21 March 2021). "Still going strong at 39, Game 4 hero Mark Yee named Finals MVP". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
5. ^ "Davao Occidental limits Zamboanga to 28 points, moves on verge of MPBL South Finals". Tiebreaker Times. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
6. Leongson, Randolph B. (March 12, 2020). "Makati deals San Juan first playoff loss, sends MPBL North finals to sudden death". Sports Interactive Network.
7. "MPBL: Basilan vs. Davao postponed after Basilan player tests positive for COVID-19". ABS-CBN Sports. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
8. "MPBL: South finals outcome depends on swab tests done by Basilan team". ABS-CBN News. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
9. "Davao Occidental advances to MPBL National Finals vs. San Juan by default". Inquirer.net. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.

• 2019–20 MPBL season
• Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League playoffs
• 2020 in Philippine sport
• Basketball events postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic