2003 PBA Reinforced Conference Finals

The 2003 Samsung-PBA Reinforced Conference Finals was the best-of-7 basketball championship series of the 2003 PBA Reinforced Conference and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs. The San Miguel Beermen and Coca Cola Tigers played for the 86th championship contested by the league. [1] [2]

2003 PBA Reinforced Conference Finals
TeamCoachWins
Coca Cola Tigers Chot Reyes 4
San Miguel Beermen Jong Uichico 3
DatesNovember 30, 2003 (2003-11-30)-
December 14, 2003 (2003-12-14)
MVPJeffrey Cariaso
TelevisionVTV (IBC)
Radio networkDZRH

After two runner-up finishes in the first two conferences, the Coca Cola Tigers won their 2nd PBA title with a 4-3 series victory over San Miguel Beermen.

Series scoring summary
Team Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7 Wins
Coca Cola 8110381878680924
San Miguel 847986848485843

Games summary

Game 1
November 30
Coca Cola Tigers 81, San Miguel Beermen 84
Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 18–17, 22–27, 21–15
Pts: Artemus McClary 33 Pts: Kwan Johnson 17 Danny Ildefonso 17
San Miguel leads series, 1-0
Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

The Beermen bucked the absence of Kwan Johnson and leaned on Danny Ildefonso down the stretch, Ildefonso scored 11 of his team's last 15 points and stole the ball from Coca Cola import Tee McClary with four seconds remaining as the Beermen escaped with a thrilling victory. SMB import Kwan Johnson spent the entire fourth period on the bench after hurting his left groin late in the third quarter. Rudy Hatfield and McClary joined forces in a 19-6 Tigers' run that cut the Beermen's 14-point lead to just one, 79-80, with barely a minute remaining.

Game 2
December 3
Coca Cola Tigers 103, San Miguel Beermen 79
Series tied, 1-1
Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

With the score at 62-43 in Coca Cola's favor, Tigers' import Tee McClary planted an elbow on Beerman Danny Ildefonso's side during a deadball situation in the third quarter, prompting the latter to retaliate with a close-fist assault, both players were thrown out of the ballgame. McClary and Ildefonso were suspended in the following game of the finals series for figuring in a fight.

Game 3
December 5
Coca Cola Tigers 81, San Miguel Beermen 86
Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 11–19, 24–17, 23–24
Pts: Jeffrey Cariaso 26 Pts: Dondon Hontiveros 22
San Miguel leads series, 2-1
Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

Dondon Hontiveros stepped up in the absence of San Miguel import Kwan Johnson and Danny Ildefonso, the cebuano hotshot pumped in 13 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Beermen went through several deadlocks before putting the sting out of the importless Tigers. The Beermen brought in Cedric Ceballos, a last-minute replacement for the injured Johnson on a temporary basis, the NBA's 1992 slam-dunk king tossed in 11 points and hauled down 10 rebounds in 38 minutes of action.

Game 4
December 7
Coca Cola Tigers 87, San Miguel Beermen 84
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 24–21, 28–17, 14–22
Pts: Artemus McClary 34 Pts: Kwan Johnson 19 Danny Ildefonso 19
Series tied, 2-2
Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

The Tigers led, 73-62, entering the fourth quarter when Danny Ildefonso and Dorian Peña rallied the Beermen and gave them an 82-81 edge after a long scoreless spell by the Tigers, Rudy Hatfield nailed a triple with 49 seconds left that broke an 84-all deadlock and Hatfield, who scored 16 points with 16 rebounds, capped his heroics with a block on Dondon Hontiveros' potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer to preserved the Tigers' win.

Game 5
December 10
Coca Cola Tigers 86, San Miguel Beermen 84
Scoring by quarter: 21–17, 11–20, 31–25, 23–22
Pts: Artemus McClary 17 Pts: Kwan Johnson 30
Coca Cola leads series, 3-2
Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City

Rob Wainwright scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and along with Jeffrey Cariaso, stole the thunder from import Tee McClary as they spearheaded the Tigers' offensive in the payoff period that opened an 85-79 spread for the Tigers with less than two minutes remaining. SMB import Kwan Johnson, who return from a groin injury, flubbed a go-ahead triple in the final 21 seconds and saw his drive at the buzzer rim out, allowing the Tigers to escaped with a two-point victory. [3]

Game 6
December 12
Coca Cola Tigers 80, San Miguel Beermen 85
Series tied, 3-3
Philsports Arena, Pasig City

Game 7
December 14
Coca Cola Tigers 92, San Miguel Beermen 84
Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 23–14, 21–18, 27–25
Pts: Artemus McClary 25 Pts: Dorian Peña 23
Coca Cola wins series, 4-3
Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City

The Tigers were up, 65-59, entering the final quarter. Tee McClary scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth period and pounced on those eight turnovers by the Beermen as Coca Cola got their biggest lead of the game at 85-70 with 5:45 left, the Beermen countered with a 12-2 surge to trim the deficit to 82-87 with 1:39 remaining. [4]

2003 PBA Reinforced Conference Champions

Coca Cola Tigers
2nd title

Rosters
Coca-Cola Tigers roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#POBNameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY–MM–DD)From
F 4 Reavis, Rafi 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Coppin State
G 5 Wainwright, Rob 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Solano
G 8 Chia, Gec 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Ateneo de Manila
C 9 Lao, Gilbert 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) UST
G 10 Morano, Ato 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) San Beda College
G 14 Abarrientos, Johnny 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Far Eastern
F 16 Hawkins, Bong 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) UPHSD
G 18 Avenido, Leo 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Far Eastern
G 20 McClary, Artemus (I) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Jacksonville
F 21 Hugnatan, Reynel 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) University of Manila
G 22 Cariaso, Jeffrey 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Sonoma State
C 24 Bolado, Cris 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) National University
F 25 Abuda, Freddie 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) University of Cebu
G 31 Antonio, William 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Chaminade
C 32 Juinio, Poch 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) State U
F 99 Hatfield, Rudy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Michigan-Dearborn
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Import
  • Injured
San Miguel Beermen roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#POBNameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY–MM–DD)From
G 1 Victoria, Boybits 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) San Beda College
F 2 Gahol, Bryan 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) State U
F 3 Belasco, Nic 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Notre Dame College
C 4 Peña, Dorian 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Coppin State
G 6 Moody, Billy 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Letran College
G 7 Hontiveros, Dondon 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) University of Cebu
F/C 10 Ildefonso, Danny 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) National University
F 11 Calo, Arnold 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) MLQU
C 14 Paras, Benjie 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) State U
G 17 Racela, Olsen 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Ateneo de Manila
G 21 Mente, Joey 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Lyceum
F/C 22 Gamboa, Arnold 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Far Eastern
G 23 Johnson, Kwan (I) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) New Orleans
F 24 Ceballos, Cedric (I) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Cal State Fullerton
F 29 Legaspi, Marlon 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) MLQU
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Import
  • Injured

Broadcast notes
GamePlay-by-playAnalyst
Game 1Sev SarmentaNorman Black
Game 2
Game 3
Game 4
Game 5Vitto LazatinNorman Black
Game 6Sev SarmentaQuinito Henson
Game 7Mico HaliliJayvee Gayoso
gollark: It *is* mismanaged...
gollark: Kiki: speak for yourself!
gollark: I put that adaptation of the poem up on the hub.
gollark: Exactly.
gollark: And "against the 6-year-old T&C".

References
  1. "San Miguel-Coke series on". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  2. "SMB-Coke do-or-die tiff today". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  3. "Tigers a win from crown". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  4. "Tigers triumph". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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