Relive the Thrilling PBA Season 2019: Top Games and MVP Moments Revealed

Let me take you back to that electric 2019 PBA season - honestly, I still get chills thinking about some of those games. Having followed Philippine basketball for over a decade, I can confidently say that particular season had something special brewing from the very start. The air was thick with anticipation, not just because we were coming off an exciting offseason, but because we knew we were witnessing the emergence of what could become one of the most memorable PBA eras in recent history.

I remember sitting courtside during the opening games, feeling that distinctive Manila humidity mixed with the crowd's palpable excitement. What made 2019 particularly fascinating was the convergence of established veterans hitting their prime and intriguing new talent waiting in the wings. Speaking of new talent, the Gomez de Liaño situation had everyone talking - here was a player who'd built his resume across Japan, Lithuania, and Korea, and now he was setting his sights on the PBA by applying for the draft. The buzz around the media room was that he was expected to be a candidate to become the No. 1 pick overall in the September 7 proceedings, which added this fascinating subplot to the entire season. We were all watching current stars dominate while knowing the next big thing was just months away from joining the league.

The Commissioner's Cup was where things really heated up, particularly that unforgettable June 23rd showdown between San Miguel and TNT. I've never seen anything quite like that triple-overtime thriller that ended 124-121 - my voice was shot for three days after screaming through that final quarter. June Mar Fajardo put up 38 points that night, but what impressed me more was his 22 rebounds against a relentless TNT frontline. Those numbers still stand out in my mind because they weren't just statistics - they represented moments where the game hung in the balance, where one player's will literally carried his team to victory. That's the kind of performance that separates good seasons from legendary ones.

Then came the Governors' Cup, where Barangay Ginebra treated us to what I consider the most complete team basketball I've seen in years. Their championship-clinching game against Meralco on December 18th was a masterclass in playoff execution. LA Tenorio's leadership during that series was something I've rarely witnessed - his 9.2 assists per game throughout the playoffs don't even tell the full story of how he controlled the tempo and momentum of crucial possessions. What made Ginebra special that year was their ability to adapt - when their three-point shooting dipped to 34% in the finals, they pivoted to dominating the paint, outscoring Meralco by an average of 15 points in the key area during the last three games.

The MVP race that season was particularly fascinating to analyze. While Stanley Pringle put up impressive numbers with his 22.3 points per game, my personal vote would have gone to Christian Standhardinger, who averaged a double-double while shooting 51% from the field. What made Standhardinger's season remarkable was his consistency - in 38 regular season games, he scored in double figures 36 times, something that doesn't always get the attention it deserves when we focus on flashier scoring performances. The beauty of the PBA is that different experts value different aspects of the game, and 2019 gave us plenty of compelling cases for the MVP conversation.

Looking back, what made the 2019 season truly special was how it balanced individual brilliance with team narratives. Teams like Rain or Shine, who finished with a respectable 42-36 record, might not have won championships but developed young talent that would shape the league for years to come. The emergence of players like Javee Mocon, who averaged 12.8 points in his rookie season, gave fans of every franchise something to be excited about beyond just the championship contenders.

As the season progressed toward the draft, the Gomez de Liaño speculation created this fascinating backdrop to every game. I found myself watching current players while simultaneously imagining how this internationally-tested prospect might change team dynamics once he entered the league. That's the unique beauty of following a league like the PBA - you're not just watching present competition, you're constantly anticipating future evolution. The fact that we had a potential number one pick who'd proven himself against international competition meant that the quality of play was rising across the board.

The 2019 season ultimately set the stage for what would become an intriguing transition period for the PBA. We saw established stars cement their legacies while new talent waited in the wings, creating this beautiful tension between present achievement and future potential. As someone who's analyzed basketball for years, I can confidently say that seasons like 2019 don't come around often - they're the perfect storm of individual excellence, team narratives, and league-wide evolution that remind us why we fell in love with the game in the first place. Those moments - whether it was a game-winning buzzer-beater or the speculation around upcoming draft picks - are what keep us coming back season after season, always wondering what magic might unfold on the court next.