2018–19 MPBL Datu Cup
The 2018–19 MPBL Datu Cup was the second tournament of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and the first full season with a national scope. The tournament is patterned after the current format of the National Basketball Association of the United States and the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association in the Philippines, which it is divided into two divisions: The Northern and the Southern Divisions. A record of 26 teams played in the conference, which ran for over 10 months, according to league commissioner Kenneth Duremdes. The almost year-long conference opened in June 12, 2018, which coincided with the Philippine Independence Day at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City and ended with the final game of the MPBL Finals in April 25, 2019 where San Juan Knights prevailed over the Davao Occidental Tigers, 3 games to 2.
Format
The format for the cup was:- All 26 teams will be divided into two conferences or groups: the North and South Divisions, which consist 13 teams each.
- In the regular season, teams will play in a single round-robin format, with each team playing 25 games, in a home-and-away basis. Though divided into two groups, teams will still play in a round-robin.
- At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams in each conference will qualify for the playoffs. The top four teams in each conference will earn home-court advantage through the division playoffs. Additionally, the team with the league's best record will hold home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, including the national finals.
- For the playoffs, the first round, division semifinals, and the division finals will be a best-of-3 series, while the MPBL Finals will be a best-of-5 series.
- For the first round, the following will be the home-and-away format: 1 & 2 Seeds - home - neutral - home, 3 & 4 Seeds - neutral - home - neutral, 5 & 6 Seeds - neutral - away - neutral, and 7 & 8 Seeds - away - neutral - away.
Transactions
Coaching changes
Team changes
New teams
Sixteen new teams joined for this cup:- Bacoor Strikers
- Basilan Steel
- Cebu City Sharks
- Davao Occidental Tigers
- General Santos Warriors
- Laguna Heroes
- Makati Skyscrapers
- Mandaluyong El Tigre
- Manila Stars
- Marikina Shoemasters
- Pampanga Lanterns
- Pasig Pirates
- Pasay Voyagers
- Rizal Crusaders
- San Juan Knights
- Zamboanga Valientes
Name changes
- The Bataan Defenders changed their team name to Bataan Risers before the start of the season.
- The Valenzuela Classics changed their team name to Valenzuela Idol Cheesedogs in July 2018.
- The Makati Skyscrapers changed their team name to Makati Super Crunch in November 2018.
- The Valenzuela Idol Cheesedogs reverted to their original team name, the Valenzuela Classic in November 2018.
Regular season
Northern Division
Southern Division
Results
Not all games are in home–away format. Each team plays every team once. Number of asterisks after each score denotes number of overtimes played.Playoffs
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 and are marked in asterisks.Division 1st Round
The first round is a best-of-three series, with the higher seeded team hosting Game 1, and 3, if necessary.North Division
South Division
Division 2nd Round
North Division
South Division
Division Finals
North Division Finals
South Division Finals
MPBL Finals
The Davao Occidental Tigers held the homecourt advantage for the title series, as they have defeated the San Juan Knights in their regular-season matchup. But San Juan Knights eventually won the championship in 5 games.Awards
| Week | Player | Stat Line | Against | Ref. |
| June 12−16, 2018 | Reed Juntilla | 30 Points 6 Rebounds 5 Assists 1 Steal | Laguna Heroes | |
| June 19−23, 2018 | Christopher Sumalinog | 22 Points 7 Rebounds 1 Assist 1 Steal 2 Blocks | Cebu City Sharks | |
| June 26–30, 2018 | Jai Reyes | 21 Points 11 Rebounds 5 Assists 1 Steal | Pasig Pirates | |
| July 3–6, 2018 | Bobby Ray Parks Jr. | 20 Points 11 Rebounds 10 Assists 7 Steals | Pasig Pirates | |
| July 10–12, 2018 | Mar Villahermosa | 29 Points 3 Rebounds 2 Assists 5 Steals | Rizal Crusaders | |
| July 16–21, 2018 | Michael Juico | 35 Points 7 Rebounds 3 Assists 3 Steals | Parañaque Patriots | |
| July 31–August 4, 2018 | Mikee Reyes | 21 Points 10 Rebounds 15 Assists 2 Steals | Caloocan Supremos | |
| August 7–11, 2018 | Reed Juntilla | 29 Points 11 Rebounds 4 Assists | Navotas Clutch | |
| August 14–16, 2018 | Gab Banal | 25 Points 12 Rebounds 6 Assists | Laguna Heroes | |
| August 21–25, 2018 | Allan Mangahas | 21 Points 4 Rebounds 5 Assists 2 Blocks | San Juan Knights | |
| August 28–September 1, 2018 | Billy Ray Robles | 21 Points 10 Rebounds 9/16 Field Goals | Valenzuela Idol Cheesedogs | |
| September 4–8, 2018 | Allan Mangahas | 22 Points 12 Rebounds 12 Assists | Bacoor City Strikers | |
| September 11–13, 2018 | Aris Dionisio | 24 Points 10 Rebounds 2 Assists 2 Steals 2 Blocks | Caloocan Longrich | |
| September 19–23, 2018 | Mark Yee | 16 Points 24 Rebounds 6 Assists | Pasay Voyagers | |
| September 25–29, 2018 | Mark Yee | 29 Points 11 Rebounds 3 Assists 1 Steal 1 Block | Caloocan Supremos | |
| October 2–6, 2018 | Gab Banal | 30 Points 10 Rebounds 4 Assists | Navotas Clutch | |
| October 9–13, 2018 | Jan Jamon | 27 Points 5 Rebounds 2 Assists | Imus Bandera | |
| October 16–20, 2018 | Bobby Balucanag | 26 Points 13 Rebounds 2 Assists 1 Steal 1 Block | Quezon City Capitals | |
| October 22–27, 2018 | Paolo Hubalde | 25 Points 10 Rebounds 6 Assists | Cebu City Sharks | |
| October 30–November 3, 2018 | Jeff Viernes | 21 Points 5 Rebounds 4 Assists 1 Steal | San Juan Knights | |
| January 3–5, 2019 | Renato Ular | 19 Points 15 Rebounds 2 Blocks | Bacoor Strikers | |
| January 7–12, 2019 | Mac Cardona | 25 Points 5 Rebounds 2 Assists 2 Blocks | Basilan Steel | |
| February 11–16, 2019 | Mark Andaya | 16 Points 12 Rebounds 2 Assists 3 Blocks | Pampanga Lanterns |
Statistics
Individual statistic leaders
Individual game highs
Team statistic leaders
Awards
The individual league awards will be given before the Game 4 of the 2019 MPBL Datu Cup National Finals at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.| Awards | Winner | Team | Ref. |
| Season Most Valuable Player | Gab Banal | Bacoor City Strikers | |
| Finals Most Valuable Player | Mike Ayonayon | San Juan Knights | |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Aris Dionisio | Manila Stars | |
| Coach of the Year | Randy Alcantara | San Juan Knights | |
| Executive of the Year | Mayor Oscar Malapitan | Caloocan Supremos | |
| Sportsmanship Award | JR Taganas | Bulacan Kuyas | |
| All-MPBL First Team | Mark Yee | Davao Occidental Tigers | |
| All-MPBL First Team | Gab Banal | Bacoor City Strikers | |
| All-MPBL First Team | Aris Dionisio | Manila Stars | |
| All-MPBL First Team | Chris Bitoon | Manila Stars | |
| All-MPBL First Team | Allan Mangahas | Muntinlupa Cagers | |
| All-MPBL Second Team | John Wilson | San Juan Knights | |
| All-MPBL Second Team | Michael Mabulac | Laguna Heroes | |
| All-MPBL Second Team | Jai Reyes | Navotas Clutch | |
| All-MPBL Second Team | Harold Arboleda | Zamboanga Valientes | |
| All-MPBL Second Team | Leo Najorda | Davao Occidental Tigers |