Reliving the 2000 PBA Season: Top 10 Most Memorable Games and Highlights
I still get chills thinking about the 2000 PBA season—it was one of those years where every game felt like a championship bout. As someone who's followed Philippine basketball for decades, I can confidently say that season had a unique energy, a perfect storm of veteran brilliance and emerging talent that created unforgettable moments. What made it particularly special was how teams constantly adapted their strategies, something that reminds me of that quote from Coach Robinson: "We will always find ways to maximize our strength. So if ever, yes, something that they will prepare for is our bigs. But again, we also have something to prepare for against them. We know what they are capable of doing." This strategic cat-and-mouse game defined the entire season, creating matchups that are still discussed today.
I'll never forget Game 7 of the All-Filipino Cup finals between San Miguel and Alaska. The series had been brutal, with both teams trading blows, but that final game was something else. With 2.3 seconds left on the clock and Alaska down by one, Johnny Abarrientos—the Flying A—caught an inbound pass near half-court. What happened next still feels impossible. He took one dribble and launched from what my memory tells me was about 35 feet. Swish. The arena went completely silent for a split second before erupting. Alaska won 76-75, and Abarrientos finished with 24 points. That shot wasn't just lucky—it was the culmination of Alaska's preparation against San Miguel's defensive schemes, exactly the kind of strategic counterpunch Robinson was talking about.
Then there was that incredible Commissioner's Cup semifinal between Mobiline and Tanduay. This was back when each team could field two imports, and the matchups were fascinating. Mobiline had Lamont Strothers, who averaged 28.7 points that conference, while Tanduay countered with the formidable duo of Artemus McClary and Silas Mills. The game went to triple overtime—only the fourth time in PBA history that had happened at that point. What impressed me most was how both coaches constantly adjusted their lineups, sometimes playing both imports together, other times going with an all-local lineup to change the tempo. Mobiline eventually won 121-119, with Strothers dropping 42 points. I remember thinking how perfectly this illustrated Robinson's point about teams preparing for specific threats while having their own counters ready.
The rivalry between Ginebra and Purefoods that season produced another classic that stands out in my memory. This was November 12, 2000—a Sunday game that stretched well into evening because of multiple overtimes. Ginebra's Bal David was absolutely sensational, playing 53 minutes and scoring 31 points despite being one of the smaller guards in the league. But what really made this game special was how Purefoods adjusted their defense in the second half, specifically targeting Ginebra's big men while somehow containing David's penetration. Purefoods won 101-99 in the second overtime, with Noy Castillo hitting the game-winning jumper with 4.2 seconds left. This game demonstrated how teams had to prepare for multiple threats simultaneously—you couldn't just focus on one player or one strategy.
Speaking of adjustments, the Alaska Milkmen's comeback against Shell in the Governors' Cup quarterfinals was a masterclass in tactical adaptation. Alaska was down by 18 points with just over 8 minutes remaining—a deficit that felt insurmountable given Shell's defensive intensity that game. But then coach Tim Cone made a crucial adjustment, going with a smaller lineup that spread the floor and forced Shell's big men to defend in space. What followed was one of the most impressive comebacks I've witnessed, with Alaska outscoring Shell 31-9 in those final minutes to win 94-90. This was Robinson's philosophy in action—finding ways to maximize their strengths while countering what the opponent threw at them.
The 2000 PBA season wasn't just about the close games though—it was about moments that defined careers. I'm thinking particularly of Alvin Patrimonio's 34-point performance against Talk 'N Text in what would be one of his last dominant games before transitioning into a different role. The Captain was 34 years old at that point, but he played with the energy of someone ten years younger, shooting 14-of-22 from the field while grabbing 11 rebounds. What made this performance memorable was how Talk 'N Text had specifically prepared for Patrimonio's post game, only for him to counter by stepping out and hitting mid-range jumpers. It was a beautiful demonstration of a veteran player adapting to defensive schemes designed specifically to stop him.
Another game that doesn't get mentioned enough was Red Bull's upset over San Miguel in the elimination round. Red Bull was still relatively new to the league then, but they played with a fearlessness that caught established teams off guard. What impressed me was their defensive scheme against Danny Seigle, who was averaging 24.3 points at that point in the season. They double-teamed him relentlessly, forcing other players to beat them. The strategy worked—Seigle was held to just 14 points on 5-of-18 shooting, and Red Bull won 87-83. This was another example of a team identifying an opponent's strength and building their entire game plan around neutralizing it, exactly the kind of strategic thinking Robinson described.
The 2000 PBA All-Star Game deserves mention too, though for different reasons. While exhibition games often lack defensive intensity, this one had a competitive edge because of the emerging rivalry between the Veterans and the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors team. The RSJ squad, led by Danny Ildefonso and Menk, actually led for most of the game before the Veterans mounted a fourth-quarter comeback. What made this interesting from a strategic perspective was seeing how the younger players, unfamiliar with each other's games, gradually developed chemistry throughout the contest. The Veterans won 112-109, but the closeness of the game signaled that the league's next generation was ready to challenge the established stars.
Looking back, what made the 2000 PBA season so memorable wasn't just the individual games but how they connected to form a narrative about strategic evolution in Philippine basketball. Teams were becoming more sophisticated in their preparation, more deliberate in their counters. When Robinson talked about maximizing strengths while preparing for opponents, he was describing the season's defining theme. The best teams that year weren't necessarily the most talented—they were the ones who could adapt, who could turn their opponents' preparation against them. Two decades later, I still find myself revisiting those games, not just for nostalgia but for the lessons they offer about basketball strategy and team building. The 2000 season was special because it showed Philippine basketball at a crossroads—still physical and emotional but becoming increasingly cerebral, setting the stage for the modern PBA we know today.