2009 PBA Fiesta Conference


The 2009 Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference or known as the 2009 Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, was the last conference of the 2008-09 PBA season. It started on February 28 and finished on July 17. The tournament was shortened to accommodate the training of the national basketball team for the FIBA Asia Championship 2009 qualifying tournament for the 2010 FIBA World Championship. The last conference had games on Thursdays and Saturdays. The tournament is an import-laden format, which allows an import or a non-Filipino player for each team and with a new height limit of 6-foot-6.
Two teams had new names before the start of the conference: the former Red Bull Barako was now known as the Barako Bull Energy Boosters, and the former Air21 Express were called as the Burger King Titans. However, with the failure of several business deals that would have changed the franchise's upper management, the Titans renamed into the Burger King Whoppers by their seventh game into the conference, retaining their old managemend headed by the Lina family.

Format

The following format was observed for the duration of the conference:
Group A:
  1. Alaska Aces
  2. Burger King Whoppers
  3. Coca-Cola Tigers
  4. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
  5. Sta. Lucia Realtors
Group B:
  1. Barako Bull Energy Boosters
  2. Barangay Ginebra Kings
  3. Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants
  4. San Miguel Beermen
  5. Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters
The May 17 game between the Barangay Ginebra Kings and the Alaska Aces held at the Albay Astrodome in Legaspi was canceled when the playing court was judged as too slippery, with Ginebra leading 9-2, and 8:04 remaining in the first quarter. The game was stopped twice and the stoppages lasted two hours before the game was canceled. The game was restarted at the Araneta Coliseum on May 22.

Team standings

Results

Win
Win via OT
Loss
Loss via OT

Bracket

Wildcard phase

Note: Rain or Shine and Burger King possessed the twice to beat advantage but it was not used as their opponents failed to win to extend the series into a deciding game.

Quarterfinals

Rain or Shine–Purefoods series

Burger King–Sta. Lucia series

Semifinals

San Miguel–Burger King series

Barangay Ginebra–Rain or Shine series

Third-place playoff

Finals

Awards

Statistical leaders

Locals

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.
NameTeamDebutedLast gameRecord
Shawn DanielsBurger King TitansFebruary 28July 113-11
Anthony JohnsonSta. Lucia RealtorsFebruary 28June 149-9
Charles ClarkRain or Shine Elasto PaintersMarch 1March 71-1
Scooter McFadgonBarako Bull Energy BoostersMarch 1March 282-5
Tiras WadeTalk 'N Text Tropang TextersMarch 1May 15-4
Brian HamiltonPurefoods TJ GiantsMarch 1March 152-2
Galen YoungAlaska AcesMarch 4March 120-3
JJ SullingerCoca-Cola TigersMarch 4March 201-4
Rod NealyBarangay Ginebra KingsMarch 4April 32-5
Gabe FreemanSan Miguel BeermenMarch 8July 1715-6
Jai LewisRain or Shine Elasto Painters March 12July 113-9
Rosell EllisAlaska Aces March 14May 276-7
Jhamar ThorpePurefoods TJ Giants March 21April 192-2
James PennyCoca-Cola Tigers March 26May 295-4
Jeff VaremBarako Bull Energy Boosters April 17May 10-3
David NoelBarangay Ginebra Kings April 20July 1714-6
Marquin ChandlerPurefoods TJ Giants April 29June 145-4
Daryan SelvyBarako Bull Energy Boosters May 3May 150-3
Gary ForbesTalk 'N Text Tropang Texters May 3May 61-1
Rashad BellTalk 'N Text Tropang Texters May 13May 291-2
Chris WilliamsSan Miguel Beermen May 17May 221-1
Jamaal WilliamsBarako Bull Energy Boosters May 27May 270-1
All-Filipino line upSan Miguel BeermenMarch 4--1-0
All-Filipino line upBarangay Ginebra KingsApril 17--1-0
All-Filipino line upTalk 'N Text Tropang TextersMay 1--0-1