And then there were two.
After months of intense action, the battle for the MPBL national title is down to two teams: the Pampanga Giant Lanterns and Quezon Huskers. The defending champs all but cruised to the 2024 MPBL National Finals, where they will go up against a Quezon squad that very nearly fell to the Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters in the Division Finals.
But the battle for the national title will start at 0-0, which means all that happened in the preceding months hardly matters anymore. However, they do hint at how these 2024 MPBL National Finals might play out—and it is looking like one team has a distinct advantage. This is why Rebanse took a closer look and broke down this series by the numbers. Here are some things of note that we found:
67-4
This is the Giant Lanterns’ sterling record over the past two seasons—postseason play included. It is impressive, to say the least, and underscores the team’s utter dominance beginning in the 2023 MPBL Season, which Pampanga ruled after going a perfect 9-0 in the playoffs and 35-2 overall. The Delta Pineda-backed squad is 32-2 so far this season and is just three wins shy of back-to-back titles (and mirroring their dominant 2023 season).
That the reigning champs lost just four games in two seasons so far proves one thing other MPBL teams know fully well by now: The Giant Lanterns are unbelievably hard to beat. In other words, the Huskers will have their hands full.
0
That’s the number of times Pampanga had lost in the postseason since last year when they were pristine in their playoff run en route to the national championship. Things haven’t been any different this season, as the Giant Lanterns have marched on to the national finals with six straight wins sans a loss.
There have been a few close calls here and there, notably a 66-65 thriller versus the Abra Weavers in the North Division Quarterfinals and an 83-80 OT win over the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in the North Division Semifinals. But the defending champions are continuing to find ways to win. Maybe Quezon can find a way to beat what has been Team Invincible.
89.1
One big reason the Giant Lanterns are so tough to beat is they can score the basketball. Their 89.1 PPG this 2024 MPBL Season proves as much. And with weapons up and down the roster, like Archie Concepcion, Encho Serrano, and Larry Muyang, it is easy to see why.
Pampanga’s firepower, matched only by the now-eliminated San Juan Knights, is not just prolific but also efficient, with the Giant Lanterns’ league-best 25.9 assists helping them shoot 44% from the field overall and 50% from two-point range.
70.1
Interestingly, the stats suggest the 2024 MPBL National Finals will be a battle of offense versus defense. Pampanga obviously brings the firepower, while Quezon leans on its suffocating defense—the kind that hounds opponents to a measly 70.1 points per game. The Huskers are particularly adept at scoring off turnovers, with their 15.4 points scored off turnovers the league’s eighth-best mark.
The problem is, the Giant Lanterns are equally stingy, surrendering just 70.7 points to finish second overall in the MPBL behind the Huskers. With a league-average offense (77.7 PPG, 16th in the MPBL), Quezon might have to raise the ante even more on defense—or explode on offense—if they want to pull off an upset.
9
One weapon the Huskers might want to rely on is their three-point shooting, as they are third in the MPBL in treys made with nine a game on 30.4 attempts. A 30% clip from downtown isn’t lights out by any means, but it’s a start regardless.
The Giant Lanterns and Huskers actually shoot near-identical marks from beyond, but the former takes fewer shots (24.6) from the three-point line compared to the latter. Pampanga’s dominant inside game—47.5 points per game—likely explains this, which is all the more reason for Quezon to use the trey ball to their advantage.
19
That’s the number of Justine Baltazar, Pampanga’s ace big man who is quite possibly Quezon’s biggest problem in the 2024 MPBL National Finals. Balti is a handful, to say the least, and his monstrous numbers of 15.4 PPG, 15.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.2 BPG most certainly attest to that.
The Huskers could have used Will Gozum for the unenviable task of shadowing Baltazar, the 2024 PBA Draft’s first overall pick. But the 6-foot-5 big man has been sidelined for months now due to injury and won’t be available. Meaning, Quezon does not have anyone with the physical tools to really match up with Balti. How the Huskers plan to contain the PBA-bound MVP will likely determine how the Huskers will fare in these 2024 MPBL Finals.
When Do the MPBL National Finals Start?
Game 1 of the 2024 MPBL National Finals is scheduled on December 1 in Dubai in the UAE, which will also host Game 2. The action shifts back to the Philippines for Game 3 and Games 4 and 5, if necessary. Pampanga, by virtue of its superior record, will have home court advantage.
