2007 PBA Fiesta Conference

The 2007 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Conference or known as the 2007 Talk 'N Text PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, is the second conference of the 2006-07 season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Teams are allowed to pick an import with a maximum height-limit of 6-feet, 6-inches tall.

The tournament began on March 4 and is expected to end in June or July. The schedule will be shortened due to the league's commitment to the Philippine national basketball team while 12 players selected by national team head coach Chot Reyes will not play for their mother teams.

Red Bull Barako is the defending champions of the tournament.

Talk 'N Text, a product of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company will be the main sponsor of the tournament. They also sponsor the 2006-07 PBA Philippine Cup that ended a month before the tournament.

List of imports

The following is the list of imports, which had played for their respective teams at least once, with the returning imports in "italics". Highlighted are the imports who stayed with their respective teams for the whole conference.

Note: NA* = Not applicable, if two teams are tied for #2, #5 and #9, a classification game (a knockout game in case for the #9 seed) will be held regardless of elimination round results.

Tiebreakers

Ties were held for the second and fifth seeds; since the ties were at critical positions (i.e, the seeds were at the last berths for a stage), classification games will be held to determine which team will clinch the higher seed, and the privileges that go along with it.

econd-seed game

Fifth-seed game

Bracket

PBA bracket wildcard knockout| rd1=Wildcard phase
Knockout games
rd2=Quarter finals
Best of 3 series
rd3=Semi finals
Best of 7 series
rd4=Finals
Best of 7 series

rd1-seed1="'6
rd1-team1=San Miguel
rd1-score1=102
rd1-seed2=9
rd1-team2=Sta. Lucia
rd1-score2=85

rd1-seed3=7
rd1-team3=Coca-Cola
rd1-score3=100
rd1-seed4=8
rd1-team4=Purefoods
rd1-score4=97

rd1b-seed1=6
rd1b-team1=San Miguel
rd1b-score1=102
rd1b-seed2=7
rd1b-team2=Coca-Cola
rd1b-score2=101

rd2-seed1=6
rd2-team1=San Miguel
rd2-score1=2
rd2-seed2=3
rd2-team2=Brgy. Ginebra
rd2-score2=1

rd2-seed3=4
rd2-team3=Talk 'N Text
rd2-score3=2
rd2-seed4=5
rd2-team4=Air21
rd2-score4=1

rd3-seed2=2
rd3-team2=Alaska
rd3-score2=4
rd3-seed1=6
rd3-team1=San Miguel
rd3-score1=2

rd3-seed4=4
rd3-team4=Talk 'N Text
rd3-score4=4
rd3-seed3=1
rd3-team3=Red Bull
rd3-score3=2

rd4-seed2=4
rd4-team2=Talk 'N Text
rd4-score2=3
rd4-seed1=2
rd4-team1=Alaska
rd4-score1=4

rd4-seed4=1
rd4-team4=Red Bull
rd4-score4=103
rd4-seed3=6
rd4-team3=San Miguel
rd4-score3=96

Wilcard phase

Quarterfinals

Barangay Ginebra-San Miguel series

basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 13
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=87
team2=Barangay Ginebra Kings
score2=113
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox
date=June 15
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=111
team2=Barangay Ginebra Kings
score2=89
place=Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City
TV=ABCbasketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 17
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=117
team2=Barangay Ginebra Kings
score2=114 (OT)
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=San Miguel wins series, 2-1

Talk 'N Text-Air21 series

basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 13
team1=Air21 Express
score1=121
team2=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score2=102
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABCbasketballbox
date=June 15
team1=Air21 Express
score1=92
team2=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score2=108
place=Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City
TV=ABCbasketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 17
team1=Air21 Express
score1=112
team2=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score2=114
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=Talk 'N Text wins series, 2-1

emifinals

Red Bull-Talk 'N Text series

basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 20
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=101
team2=Red Bull Barako
score2=107
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox
date=June 22
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=107
team2=Red Bull Barako
score2=103
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 24
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=105
team2=Red Bull Barako
score2=98
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox
date=June 27
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=104
team2=Red Bull Barako
score2=111
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 29
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=112
team2=Red Bull Barako
score2=111
place=Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City
TV=ABCbasketballbox
date=July 1
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=122
team2=Red Bull Barako
score2=110
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=Talk 'N Text wins series, 4-2

Alaska-San Miguel series

basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 20
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=99
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=100
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox
date=June 22
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=68
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=93
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 24
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=91
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=81
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox
date=June 27
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=87
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=93
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABCbasketballbox|bg=#eee
date=June 29
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=126
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=108
place=Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City
TV=ABCbasketballbox
date=July 1
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=109
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=113 (2OT)
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=Alaska wins series, 4-2

Third-place playoff

basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=July 4
team1=San Miguel Beermen
score1=96
team2=Red Bull Barako
score2=103
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=Red Bull wins third-place trophy

Finals

Prior to Game 1, Sandwich performed "Laban kung Laban," the TV theme song of the PBA.

Lineups

Talk 'N Text Phone Pals

Alaska Aces

col-end

Games

basketballbox|bg=#eee
date=July 6 |time=7:30 P.M. |referee=Cruz, Herrera, Ferrer
Q1=28-16 |Q2=16-29 |Q3=19-37 |Q4=22-31
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=85
points2=Cortez, Ellis 22 each |points1=James Sullinger 25
rebounds2=Rossel Ellis 13 |rebounds1=James Sullinger 12
assist2=Rossel Ellis 10 |assist1=Mark Cardona 3
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=113
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
series=basketballbox
date=July 8 |time=6:30 P.M. |referee=Calungcaguin, Aldaba, Ferrer
Q1=28-30 |Q2=25-30 |Q3=31-33 |Q4=27-29
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=120
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=113
points2=Rossel Ellis 40 |points1=Mark Cardona 30
rebounds2=Rossel Ellis 18 |rebounds1=Yancy de Ocampo 9
assist2=Rossel Ellis 7 |assist1=Mark Cardona 5
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABCbasketballbox|bg=#eee
date=July 11 |time=7:30 P.M. |referee=Montiel, Herrera, Canizares
Q1=15-30 |Q2=25-26 |Q3=27-12 |Q4=28-19
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=95
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=87
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
points2=Willie Miller 29 |points1=James Sullinger 30
rebounds2=Rossel Ellis 13 |rebounds1=James Sullinger 15
assist2=Ellis, Hugnatan 3 each |assist1=James Sullinger 8basketballbox
Q1=25-21 |Q2=18-24 |Q3=23-18 |Q4=16-23
date=July 13 |time=7:30 P.M. |referee=Canizares, Aldaba, Cruz
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=82
team2="'Alaska Aces
score2=86"'
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
points2=Willie Miller 29 |points1=James Sullinger 26
rebounds2=Rossel Ellis 14 |rebounds1=James Sullinger 13
assist2=Willie Miller 4 |assist1=Felix Belano 5
series=basketballbox|bg=#eee
Q1=31-25 |Q2=23-20 |Q3=25-27 |Q4=28-32
date=July 15 |time=6:30 p.m.
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=107
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=103
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
points2=Rossel Ellis 28 |points1=James Sullinger 24
rebounds2=Rossel Ellis 16 |rebounds1=Sullinger, Carey 8 each
assist2=Miller, Ellis 5 each |assist1=Mark Cardona 5
referee=Quilinguen, Herrera, Montiel
attendance=11,097basketballbox
Q1=34-22 |Q2=11-34 |Q3=31-38 |Q4=34-27
date=July 18 |time=7:05 p.m.
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=110
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=121
place=Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City
TV=ABC
points2=Willie Miller 37 |points1=Mark Cardona 29
rebounds2=Rossel Ellis 16 |rebounds1=James Sullinger 9
assist2=Cortez, Ellis 8 each |assist1=James Sullinger 3
referee=Cruz, Calungcaguin, Canizaresbasketballbox|bg=#eee
Q1=26-25 |Q2=27-20 |Q3=19-25 |Q4=24-29
date=July 20 |time=7:05 P.M. |attendance=10,040
team1=Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
score1=96
team2=Alaska Aces
score2=99
place=Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City
TV=ABC
points2=Ellis 30, Miller 22 |points1=Sullinger 30, Cardona 29
rebounds2=Ellis 10, Hugnatan 8 |rebounds1=Sullinger 13, Washington 10
assist2=Ellis 9, Miller 5 |assist1=Sullinger 5, Billones 4
referee=Quilinguen, Aldaba, Calungcaguin
series=Alaska wins series 4-3

On Game 1, the Phone Pals raced into a twenty-point lead at the first quarter but the Aces chipped in to lead by a point by halftime. The Phone Pals lost steam as the Aces won the first game. The Phone Pals reversed the roles as the Aces themselves lost steam at the ends of Games 2 and 3 for a Phone Pals 2-1 series lead.

With a 1-3 deficit looming, newly-crowned MVP Willie Miller stepped up his performance as he tied his conference-high 29 points to lead the Aces into victory on Game 3. Conference Best Player Mark Cardona blew the Phone Pals chances' when he turned the ball over with 4 seconds with a 2-point deficit to lead a Rossel Ellis tip-in from a Sonny Thoss missed lay-up.

On Game 5, Willie Miller turned cold when the Phone Pals started pulling away. The Piltel franchise notched win #3 to assure a twice-to-beat advantage. Miller, who was severely criticized by a lackluster performance by the MVP, answered his critics with a 37-point output (the best in the Finals by a local) to lead the Aces to a Game 6 win and to force a Game 7.

Broadcast notes

The Associated Broadcasting Company and DZSR Sports Radio broadcast the games nationwide.

Finals broadcasters are:
*Game 1: Quinito Henson and Ed Picson
*Game 2: Jason Webb and Ed Picson
*Game 3: Quinito Henson and Mico Halili
*Game 4: Jason Webb and Mico Halili
*Game 5: Quinito Henson and Ed Picson
*Game 6: Jason Webb and Mico Halili
*Game 7: Quinito Henson and Ed Picson

Awards

*Best Player of the Conference: Mark Cardona (Talk 'N Text)
*Best Import of the Conference: Rossel Ellis (Alaska)
*Finals Most Valuable Player: Willie Miller (Alaska)

References

External links

* [http://www.pba.ph PBA.ph]

PBAseason2
yearA=2006-07
Conference 1=Philippine Cup
yearB=2007
Conference 2=Fiesta Conference