The 2002–03 season of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).

2002-03 Challenge Cup

Team standings Group A Win Loss Coach Welcoat Paints 9 2 Leo Austria Dazz Dishwashing 7 4 Junel Baculi Blu Detergent 7 4 Leo Isaac LBC-Batangas 7 4 Nash Racela

Group B Win Loss Coach ICTSI-La Salle 8 4 Franz Pumaren Montaña Jewels 6 6 Ronnie Dojillo John-O 5 7 Dong Vergeire Cheeseballs-Shark 3 9 Jing Ruiz / Philip Cezar Sunkist-Pampanga 2 10 Boyzie Zamar Welcoat Paintmasters is the top team in the eliminations and will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage against the fourth finisher in the crossover semis. Welcoat will meet the winner of ICTSI and LBC-Batangas. Blu Detergent and Dazz finished with identical 7-4 won-loss cards and will play in the other crossover semis.

Crossover semifinals

Welcoat and Dazz had a twice-to-beat advantage against the two other semifinalist and they made it to the championship round.

Finals

Comebacking Welcoat Paintmasters completed a three-game sweep over Dazz. Coach Leo Austria now won three PBL titles, two of which came when he was a Shark Energy Drink mentor. The Welcoat franchise won their fifth PBL championship, and all their series victories were via sweeps.

Individual awards Most Valuable Player: Rommel Adducul (Welcoat) Sportsmanship Award: Alex Compton (LBC-Batangas) Most Improved Player Award: Paul Artadi (Welcoat) Top Newcomer: Mark Cardona (ICTSI-La Salle) Finals MVP: Rommel Adducul and Ronald Tubid (Welcoat) Mythical First Team Rommel Adducul (Welcoat) Eddie Laure (Welcoat) Ronald Tubid (Welcoat) Aries Dimaunahan (Blu) Mark Cardona (ICTSI-La Salle)

2003 Sunkist-Unity Cup Semifinal standings Win Loss PCT Hapee Toothpaste 5 1 .833 Viva Mineral Water 4 2 .667 Montaña Jewels 3 3 .500 John-O 0 6 .000 Two new teams joined the league, replacing Cheeseballs-Shark and Sunkist-Pampanga, these are Viva Mineral Water, coach by Koy Banal, and Nutrilicious, handled by Monel Kallos.

Hapee (formerly Dazz) and Viva Mineral Water advances to the championship after the double-round semifinals among the top four teams in the eliminations.

Finals

Hapee Toothpaste won their first title since the 1996 Reinforced Conference, denying Viva Mineral Water a championship in their very first try. Hapee mentor Junel Baculi won his sixth title as a coach.

References

External links www.philippinebasketball.ph