# 2017–18 LNBP season

The 2017–18 LNBP season was the 18th season of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). The regular season began on 20 October 2017 and ended on 2 March 2018. The playoffs began on 6 March and ended on 10 April 2018.

## Teams
### Changes from last season

The league expanded to 11 teams for the 2017–18 season with the additions of the Aguacateros de Michoacán, Mexico City Capitanes and Libertadores de Querétaro.
During the offseason, the Barreteros de Zacatecas were renamed the Mineros de Zacatecas. Garzas de Plata UAEH left the league and Indios de Ciudad Juárez announced they were sitting out the current season.

### Venues and locations

| Team | Home city | Arena | Capacity |
| Abejas de León | León | Domo de la Feria | 4,590 |
| Aguacateros de Michoacán | Morelia | Auditorio de Usos Múltiples de la UMSNH | 3,500 |
| Mexico City Capitanes | Mexico City | Gimnasio Juan de la Barrera | 5,243 |
| Correcaminos UAT Victoria | Ciudad Victoria | Gimnasio Multidisciplinario UAT Victoria | 2,200 |
| Fuerza Regia de Monterrey | Monterrey | Gimnasio Nuevo León Independiente | 5,000 |
| Libertadores de Querétaro | Querétaro City | Auditorio General Arteaga | 3,000 |
| Mineros de Zacatecas | Zacatecas City | Gimnasio Profesor Marcelino González | 3,500 |
| Panteras de Aguascalientes | Aguascalientes City | Gimnasio Hermanos Carreón | 3,000 |
| Santos de San Luis | San Luis Potosí City | Auditorio Miguel Barragán | 3,972 |
| Soles de Mexicali | Mexicali | Auditorio del Estado | 4,426 |
| Toros de Nuevo Laredo | Nuevo Laredo | Polyforum Dr. Rodolfo Torre Cantú | 5,224 |

## Regular season
### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Soles | 40 | 26 | 14 | 3576 | 3220 | +356 | 66 | LNBP Playoffs |
| 2 | Capitanes | 40 | 26 | 14 | 3463 | 3243 | +220 | 66 | LNBP Playoffs |
| 3 | Fuerza Regia | 40 | 25 | 15 | 3312 | 3125 | +187 | 65 | LNBP Playoffs |
| 4 | Mineros | 40 | 25 | 15 | 3329 | 3267 | +62 | 65 | LNBP Playoffs |
| 5 | Aguacateros | 40 | 22 | 18 | 3344 | 3245 | +99 | 62 | LNBP Playoffs |
| 6 | Toros | 40 | 22 | 18 | 3438 | 3342 | +96 | 62 | LNBP Playoffs |
| 7 | Correcaminos | 40 | 22 | 18 | 3535 | 3554 | −19 | 62 | LNBP Playoffs |
| 8 | Santos | 40 | 19 | 21 | 3408 | 3489 | −81 | 59 | LNBP Playoffs |
| 9 | Abejas | 40 | 13 | 27 | 3430 | 3727 | −297 | 53 | |
| 10 | Libertadores | 40 | 11 | 29 | 3432 | 3720 | −288 | 51 | |
| 11 | Panteras | 40 | 8 | 32 | 3339 | 3674 | −335 | 48 | |

## Playoffs

* – Denotes overtime period
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 87 | 79 | 93 | 79 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 C.B. Santos | 8 C.B. Santos | 8 C.B. Santos | 8 C.B. Santos | 75 | 94 | 71 | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 C.B. Santos | 8 C.B. Santos | 8 C.B. Santos | 8 C.B. Santos | 75 | 94 | 71 | 76 | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 81 | 84 | 77 | 74 | 100 | 80 |
| | | | | | | | | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 83 | 72 | 70 | 88 | 96 | 76 |
| 4 Mineros de Zacatecas | 4 Mineros de Zacatecas | 4 Mineros de Zacatecas | 4 Mineros de Zacatecas | 95 | 96 | 64 | 113 | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 83 | 72 | 70 | 88 | 96 | 76 |
| 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 98* | 86 | 68 | 125*** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 5 Aguacateros de Michoacán | 98* | 86 | 68 | 125*** | | | | | | | | | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 1 Soles de Mexicali | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 1 |
| 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 81 | 91 | 90 | 79 | 86 | | | | | | | | | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 1 |
| 7 Correcaminos UAT Victoria | 7 Correcaminos UAT Victoria | 7 Correcaminos UAT Victoria | 86 | 58 | 92 | 74 | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 Correcaminos UAT Victoria | 7 Correcaminos UAT Victoria | 7 Correcaminos UAT Victoria | 86 | 58 | 92 | 74 | 74 | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 2 Mexico City Capitanes | 69 | 75 | 69 | 81 | 70 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | 3 Fuerza Regia | 3 Fuerza Regia | 3 Fuerza Regia | 68 | 62 | 83 | 80 | 68 |
| 3 Fuerza Regia | 3 Fuerza Regia | 3 Fuerza Regia | 77 | 82 | 79 | 83 | 71 | 3 Fuerza Regia | 3 Fuerza Regia | 3 Fuerza Regia | 68 | 62 | 83 | 80 | 68 |
| 6 Toros de Nuevo Laredo | 6 Toros de Nuevo Laredo | 6 Toros de Nuevo Laredo | 73 | 78 | 84 | 88 | 54 | | | | | | | | |

## All-Star Weekend

The 2017 LNBP All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on December 3, 2017, in León, Guanajuato at the Domo de la Feria, home of the Abejas de Guanajuato. It was the 20th edition of the event. The Mexicans won the game 163–136. The MVP of the game was Juan Toscano-Anderson, who scored 7 assists, the most ever scored by a player in an All-Star Game.

### Location

There was a lot of speculation over the location of the game. Finally on October 12, Sergio Ganem, the league commissioner announced on a press conference that the chosen location was the Domo de la Feria in León, stating that the region deserved it because of its loyal fans. The commissioner of the LNBP, Sergio Ganem, considered that the All-Star Game will be a great event in a city like León, where basketball is important and in previous editions it had pronounced itself for being the venue. "It is a place that had already demanded in previous years through its president Alejandro Marcocchio the All-Star Game and I think it is a very wise decision to bring to León and Bajío the best basketball in Mexico," he said.

### All-Star Game
#### Coaches

With the best record at the time, and also as an assistant coach in the National Team, Spaniard Ramón Díaz was selected as the coach for the Mexicans. The coach with the second best record, Iván Déniz, also Spanish, was selected as a coach for the foreigners.

#### Roster

Each roster is selected by a voting process which occurs on social networking sites, such as Twitter, or Facebook, and players selected by the coach of each side, and is composed of 14 players for each team. The Mexicans were led by Lorenzo Mata, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Pedro Meza, Edgar Garibay, and Israel Gutierrez, which were selected to be in the starting lineup. Toscano would end up being the game's MVP for a 2nd consecutive year.
Meanwhile, the foreigners were led by their starters who were: Dominicans Juan Coronado, and Emmanuel Ándujar, Puerto Rican Jonathan Rodríguez, and Americans Reggie Larry and Eugene Phelps.
Mexico's reserves included Fernando Benítez, Raúl Bórquez, Cezar Guerrero, P. J. Reyes, Irwin Ávalos, Ray Barreno, Michael Lizárraga, Roberto Nelson, Jaron Martín.
| Player | Team |
| Israel Gutiérrez | Aguacateros de Michoacán |
| Juan Toscano-Anderson | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey |
| Lorenzo Mata | Soles de Mexicali |
| Pedro Meza | Mexico City Capitanes |
| Edgar Garibay | Abejas de León |
| Fernando Benítez | Mexico City Capitanes |
| Raúl Bórquez | Libertadores de Querétaro |
| Cezar Guerrero | Correcaminos UAT Victoria |
| P. J. Reyes | Mineros de Zacatecas |
| Irwin Ávalos | Santos de San Luis |
| Ray Barreno | Panteras de Aguascalientes |
| Michael Lizárraga | Abejas de León |
| Roberto Nelson | Toros de Nuevo Laredo |
| Jaron Martín | Panteras de Aguascalientes |
| Player | Team |
| Juan Coronado | Aguacateros de Michoacán |
| Denis Clemente | Fuerza Regia de Monterrey |
| Mark Borders | Santos de San Luis |
| Eric McClellan | Mineros de Zacatecas |
| Steven Pledger | Abejas de León |
| Emmanuel Andújar | Mexico City Capitanes |
| Jonathan Rodríguez | Libertadores de Querétaro |
| Terrance King | Abejas de León |
| Eugene Phelps | Soles de Mexicali |
| Kennedy Jones Jr. | Correcaminos UAT Victoria |
| Reginald Larry | Abejas de León |
| Michael Glover | Panteras de Aguascalientes |

### Three Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest

The American Steven Pledger of the Abejas de León won the contest of Shots of 3, when prevailing to the Puerto Rican Isaac Sosa of the Panteras de Aguascalientes in the final round. While Juan Toscano-Anderson of Fuerza Regia de Monterrey won the contest of Clavadas, defeating in the last round the American Terrance King of the Abejas de León.

### Game

* TDN
* December 3, 2017 8:30 pm TC
* Report
Foreigners 136, Mexicans 163 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32-27, 41-41, 32-49, 41-46 |||
| Pts: Eugene Phelps 29 Rebs: Jonathan Rodríguez 6 Asts: Kennedy Jones Jr. 5 | Pts: Cezar Guerrero 35 Rebs: Ray Barreno 6 Asts: Juan Toscano 7 |
* Domo de la Feria, León, Guanajuato Attendance: 4,463 Referees:
* Rubén Méndez
* José Ayala
* Omar Bermúdez
| Three Point Contestants Steven Pledger (Abejas) Justin Ávalos (Santos) Isaac Sosa (Panteras) Eder Zúñiga (Abejas) Emmanuel Andújar (Capitanes) Mark Borders (Santos) | Slam Dunk Contestants Juan Toscano-Anderson (Fuerza Regia) P. J. Reyes (Mineros) Terrance King (Abejas) |