1998 PBA Commissioner's Cup

The 1998 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner's Cup was the second conference of the 1998 PBA season. It started on May 22 and ended on August 14, 1998. The tournament is an import-laden format, which requires an import or a pure-foreign player for each team with a 6'8" height limit.

1998 PBA Commissioner's Cup
Duration	May 22 – August 14, 1998
TV partner(s)	VTV (IBC)
Finals
Champions	Alaska Milkmen
Runners-up	San Miguel Beermen
Awards
Best Player	Kenneth Duremdes (Alaska Milkmen)
Best Import	Devin Davis (Alaska Milkmen)
Finals MVP	Kenneth Duremdes (Alaska Milkmen)
PBA Commissioner's Cup chronology
< 1997 1999 >
PBA conference chronology
< 1998 All-Filipino 1998 Centennial >

Format

The following format will be observed for the duration of the conference

• The teams were divided into 2 groups.

Group A: San Miguel Beermen Ginebra Kings Pop Cola 800s Mobiline Phone Pals

Group B: Formula Shell Zoom Masters Alaska Milkmen Purefoods TJ Hotdogs Sta. Lucia Realtors

• Teams in a group will play against each other once and against teams in the other group twice; 11 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.
• The top two teams will automatically qualify to the semifinals, while the next four teams will have a crossover quarterfinal round.
• Quarterfinals:
  • QF1: #3 vs. #6, with #3 having the twice-to-beat advantage
  • QF2: #4 vs. #5, with #4 having the twice-to-beat advantage
• Best-of-five semifinals:
  • SF1: QF1 vs. #4
  • SF2: QF2 vs. #3
• One-game third-place playoff: losers of the semifinals
• Best-of-seven finals: winners of the semifinals

Elimination round

Team standings

Pos	Team	W	L	PCT	GB	Qualification
1	Alaska Milkmen	9	2	.818	—	Advance to semifinals
2	Pop Cola 800s	6	5	.545[a]	3
3	San Miguel Beermen	6	5	.545[a]	3	Twice-to-beat in the quarterfinals
4	Purefoods TJ Hotdogs	5	6	.455[b]	4
5	Formula Shell Zoom Masters	5	6	.455[b]	4	Twice-to-win in the quarterfinals
6	Mobiline Phone Pals	5	6	.455[b]	4
7	Ginebra San Miguel	4	7	.364[c]	5
8	Sta. Lucia Realtors	4	7	.364[c]	5

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Notes:

1. Head-to-head record: Pop Cola 1–0 San Miguel
2. Head-to-head differential: Purefoods 1.106, Shell 0.987, Mobiline 0.869
3. Head-to-head record: Ginebra 1–1 Sta. Lucia; Ginebra +2, Sta. Lucia −2

Alaska was unbeaten in their first eight outings before losing to Mobiline and San Miguel in succession. Pop Cola clinched the 2nd seed with a superior quotient over San Miguel Beermen.^[1]

Bracket

	Quarterfinals (Higher seeds twice-to-beat)						Semifinals (Best-of-5)					Finals (Best-of-7)
							1	Alaska	3
	4	Purefoods	84	78			5	Formula Shell	2
	5	Formula Shell	96	87								1	Alaska	4
												3	San Miguel	2
							2	Pop Cola	0
	3	San Miguel		95			3	San Miguel	3
	6	Mobiline		89								Third place
												2	Pop Cola	84
												5	Formula Shell	80

Quarterfinals

(3) San Miguel vs. (6) Mobiline

VTV

July 17

San Miguel Beermen 95, Mobiline Phone Pals 89

San Miguel wins series in one game

Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

(4) Purefoods vs. (5) Shell

VTV

July 17

Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 84, Formula Shell 96

Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

VTV

July 19

Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 78, Formula Shell 87

Shell wins series in two games

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

Semifinals

(1) Alaska vs. (5) Shell

VTV

July 21

Alaska Milkmen 89, Formula Shell Zoom Masters 92

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

July 24

Alaska Milkmen 88, Formula Shell Zoom Masters 86

Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

VTV

July 26

Alaska Milkmen 94, Formula Shell Zoom Masters 89

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

July 28

Alaska Milkmen 78, Formula Shell Zoom Masters 95

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

July 31

Alaska Milkmen 71, Formula Shell Zoom Masters 69

Alaska wins series, 3–2

Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

(2) Pop Cola vs. (3) San Miguel

VTV

July 19

Pop Cola 800s 97, San Miguel Beermen 106

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

July 21

Pop Cola 800s 75, San Miguel Beermen 91

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

July 24

recap

Pop Cola 800s 79, San Miguel Beermen 92

San Miguel wins series, 3–0

Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

Third place playoff

VTV

August 2

Pop Cola 800s 84, Formula Shell Zoom Masters 80

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

Finals

Main article: 1998 PBA Commissioner's Cup finals

VTV

August 2

Alaska Milkmen 107, San Miguel Beermen 97 (OT)

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

August 4

Alaska Milkmen 106, San Miguel Beermen 89

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

August 7

Alaska Milkmen 81, San Miguel Beermen 88

Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

VTV

August 9

Alaska Milkmen 83, San Miguel Beermen 92

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

August 11

Alaska Milkmen 92, San Miguel Beermen 84

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay

VTV

August 14

Alaska Milkmen 85, San Miguel Beermen 74

Alaska wins series, 4–2

Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City