# 2019–20 MPBL season

The 2019–20 MPBL season, also known as the MPBL Lakan Season or the Chooks-to-Go MPBL Lakan Season for sponsorship reasons, was the third season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. It was also the last season of the league's amateur era, as they would turn professional in December 2021. The regular season began June 12, 2019 with the opening ceremonies at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, and ended on February 12, 2020. The 2020 MPBL All-Star Game was also held at the same venue on February 13, 2020. The playoffs then began on February 15, 2020.
This season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines as the season had to be suspended on March 11, 2020, midway through the division finals. Nearly one year later, the playoffs resumed on March 10, 2021 with a bubble in the Subic Bay Gymnasium in Subic, Zambales before finally ending on March 21, 2021 when the Davao Occidental Tigers defeated the defending champion San Juan Knights in four games in the 2021 MPBL finals.
This season featured 31 teams, which is currently the biggest the league has gotten, with six expansion teams joining and one team departing from the league.

## Teams
### Expansion

This season saw six expansion teams make their debut in the league. The Nueva Ecija MiGuard join from Central Luzon, while the Mindoro Tamaraws and Bicol Volcanoes became the first teams based in Mimaropa and the Bicol Region, respectively. Western Visayas is the only region with two expansion teams in the Bacolod Master Sardines and Iloilo United Royals. The last expansion team was the Soccsksargen Marlins representing the Soccsksargen region.
Despite the departure of the Mandaluyong El Tigre, which marked the first time a team didn't return to compete, the number of participating teams increased from 26 to 31, currently the most for a single season in league history.
Nueva Ecija was allocated to the North Division, with the other five expansion teams being placed in the South Division. To balance the divisions, the Marikina Shoemasters, Parañaque Patriots, and Rizal Golden Coolers moved to the North Division.

### Arenas

* Expansion team
* Team switched divisions
* New arena
| Team | Arena | Capacity |
| North Division |||
| Bataan Risers | Bataan People's Center | 4,000 |
| Bulacan Kuyas | Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium | 5,000 |
| Bulacan Kuyas | Baliwag Star Arena | 5,000 |
| Bulacan Kuyas | Malolos Sports and Convention Center | 5,000 |
| Caloocan Supremos | Caloocan Sports Complex | 3,000 |
| Makati Super Crunch | Makati Coliseum | 12,000 |
| Manila Stars | San Andres Sports Complex | 3,000 |
| Marikina Shoemasters | Marist School Gymnasium | 2,500 |
| Marikina Shoemasters | Marikina Sports Center | 7,000 |
| Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines | Navotas Sports Complex | 1,000 |
| Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards | No home games | No home games |
| Pampanga Giant Lanterns | AUF Sports and Cultural Center | 3,000 |
| Parañaque Patriots | Olivarez College Gymnasium | 3,500 |
| Pasay Voyagers | Cuneta Astrodome | 12,000 |
| Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors | Pasig Sports Center | 2,500 |
| Quezon City Capitals | Blue Eagle Gym | 7,500 |
| Quezon City Capitals | JCSGO Seed Dome | 1,000 |
| Rizal Golden Coolers | Ynares Center | 7,400 |
| San Juan Knights | Filoil Flying V Centre | 5,500 |
| Val City Carga Backload Solution | Valenzuela Astrodome | 3,000 |
| South Division |||
| Bacolod Master Sardines | La Salle Coliseum | 8,000 |
| Bacoor City Strikers | Strike Gymansium | 1,500 |
| Basilan Steel | Lamitan Capitol Gymansium | 3,000 |
| Batangas City Athletics | Batangas City Sports Coliseum | 4,000 |
| Batangas City Athletics | Batangas State University Gymnasium | 2,500 |
| Bicol Volcanoes | Ibalong Centrum for Recreation | 8,000 |
| Bicol Volcanoes | Albay Astrodome | 8,000 |
| Biñan City Luxxe White | Alonte Sports Arena | 6,500 |
| Biñan City Luxxe White | Santa Rosa Sports Complex | 5,700 |
| Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol | Hoops Dome | 6,500 |
| Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol | Aznar Coliseum | 7,000 |
| Davao Occidental Tigers | Rizal Memorial Colleges Gymnasium | 2,000 |
| Davao Occidental Tigers | Davao City Recreation Center | 2,500 |
| Davao Occidental Tigers | USeP Gymnasium and Cultural Center | 6,000 |
| Davao Occidental Tigers | RDR Gymnasium | N/A |
| GenSan Warriors | Lagao Gymnasium | 6,000 |
| Iloilo United Royals | University of San Agustin Gymnasium | 5,000 |
| Iloilo United Royals | Passi City Arena | 2,000 |
| Imus Bandera | Imus City Sports Complex | 1,000 |
| Mindoro Tamaraws | No home games | No home games |
| Muntinlupa Cagers | Muntinlupa Sports Center | 3,000 |
| Sarangani Marlins | Sarangani Capitol Gymnasium | N/A |
| Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum | 12,000 |
| Neutral |||
| Opening ceremonies | SM Mall of Asia Arena | 15,000 |
| All-Star Game | SM Mall of Asia Arena | 15,000 |
| International Invasion | Hamdan Sports Complex | 15,000 |
| International Invasion | Winsport Arena | N/A |
| Mindanao Invasion | El Salvador City Gymnasium | N/A |
| 2020–21 MPBL playoffs | Subic Bay Gymnasium | N/A |

#### Notes

* ^ During the latter part of the 2020–21 MPBL playoffs, all playoff games at the Subic Bay Gymnasium were held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

### Name changes

* The Cebu City Sharks changed their team name to Cebu Sharks before the start of the season, then later as Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol in October 2019
* The Imus Bandera changed their team name to Imus Khaleb Shawarma before the start of the season, then later as Imus Bandera-Luxxe Slim in December 2019
* The Laguna Heroes changed their team name to Biñan City Krah Heroes before the start of the season, then later as Biñan City Luxxe White in November 2019
* The Navotas Clutch changed their team name to Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines in June 2019
* The Valenzuela Classic changed their team name to Valenzuela SPVTOP Marketplace in June 2019, then later as Val City-Carga Backload Solution in November 2019
* The Nueva Ecija MiGuard changed their team name to Nueva Ecija ForestLake in August 2019, then later as Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in October 2019
* The Soccsksargen Marlins-Armor On changed their team name to Sarangani Marlins in November 2019

### Coaching changes

Off-season :
| Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach |
| Bataan Risers | Jojo Lastimosa | Jong Uichico |
| Batangas City Athletics | Mac Tan | Goldwyn Monteverde |
| Bacoor Strikers | Leo Issac | Chris Gavina |
| Imus Khaleb Shawarma | Mike Orquillas | Budds Reyes |
| Manila Stars | Philip Cezar | Tino Pinat |
| Muntinlupa Cagers | Jack Azcueta | Richie Melencio |
| Parañaque Patriots | Monel Kallos | Michael Saguiguit |
| Pasay Voyagers | Cholo Martin | Marlon Martin |
| Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors | Ronjay Enrile | Bong Dela Cruz |
| Rizal Golden Coolers | Braulio Lim Jr. | Jayvee Gayoso |
| Valenzuela SPVTOP Marketplace | Juven Formacil | Gerry Esplana |
| Mid-season |||
| Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach |
| 1Bataan Risers | Jong Uichico | Jonas Villanueva |
| Batangas City Athletics | Goldwyn Monteverde | Woody Co |
| Binan City Luxxe White | Alex Angeles | Dennis Miranda |
| Bulacan Kuyas | Britt Reroma | Kerwin McCoy |
| Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol | Titing Manalili | Noynoy Falcasantos |
| Imus Bandera - Luxxe Slim | Buddz Reyes Mac Cuan Eugene Tan | Mac Cuan Eugene Tan Raymund Valenzona |
| GenSan Warriors | Jesus Ramon Pido | Rich Alvarez |
| Makati Super Crunch | Pocholo Villanueva | Beaujing Acot |
| Mindoro Tamaraws | Bengie Teodoro | Justin Tan |
| Muntinlupa Cagers | Richie Melencio Dave Moralde | Dave Moralde Bonnie Garcia |
| Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards | Eric Gascon Alvin Grey | Alvin Grey Charles Tiu |
| Quezon City Capitals | Vis Valencia | Christian Coronel |
| Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | Raymund Valenzona Bai Cristobal | Bai Cristobal Britt Reroma |
| Sarangani Marlins | Biboy Simon Bong Melocoton | Bong Melocoton Manuel Torralba |
| Val City - Carga Backload Solution | Gerry Esplana | Ronjay Enrile |

### Roster regulation changes

After receiving criticism for its previous set of changes, the player limits were increased to allow more players to join the league.
* The Filipino-foreigner player limit was increased from one to two, with the height limit of 6'4" remaining intact. However, only one of them can play at a time.
* The ex-professional player limit was increased from five to seven. However, only five of them can play at a time.

## Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony took place on June 12, 2019 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. Some teams had a muse to represent the team, who are as follows:
| Team | Muse |
| Basilan Steel | Sharifa Akeel |
| Bataan Risers | Rolyn Angela Tungol |
| Batangas City Athletics | Jeanette Reyes |
| Davao Occidental Tigers | Vickie Rushton |
| GenSan Warriors | Pamela Sue |
| Manila Stars | Ahtisa Manalo |
| Marikina Shoemasters | Sophie Albert |
| Mindoro Tamaraws | Princess Legaspi |
| Navotas Clutch | Anne Tenorio |
| Pampanga Giant Lanterns | Zara Carbonell |
| Parañaque Patriots | Nikka Castro |
| Pasay Voyagers | Rachel May Libres |
| Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors | Mikaela Gabrielle Bañares |
| Quezon City Capitals | Samantha Bernardo |
| Rizal Golden Coolers | Patricia Reyes |
| San Juan Knights | Nadine Lustre |
| Valenzuela Classic | Abby Dizor |
| Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | Joana Tan-Pe |

## Regular season
### Format

The 31 teams played in a single round-robin format, playing one game against all other teams in the league for a total of 30 games. In each gameday, a series of games is played in a designated home arena, with the home team usually playing in the final game.
The top eight teams in each division advanced to a four-round, single-elimination playoffs, playing in best-of-three series in the first three rounds, and a best-of-five series in the national finals, with homecourt advantage alternating between the higher seeds of each series in the first two rounds.

### International games

For the first time in MPBL history, the league held regular season games in international venues under its existing Invasion series.
| Date | Teams | Arena | Location |
| MPBL Dubai Invasion |||||
| September 27, 2019 | Davao Occidental Tigers vs. Batangas City Athletics | Hamdan Sports Complex | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| September 28, 2019 | Batangas City Athletics vs. Imus Bandera | Hamdan Sports Complex | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| MPBL Canada Invasion |||||
| December 27, 2019 | Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines vs. Imus Bandera | Winsport Arena | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |

### Standings
#### North Division

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | PCT | GB | Qualification |
| 1 | San Juan Knights | 30 | 26 | 4 | .867 | — | Playoffs |
| 2 | Manila Stars | 30 | 25 | 5 | .833 | 1 | Playoffs |
| 3 | Makati Super Crunch | 30 | 22 | 8 | .733 | 4 | Playoffs |
| 4 | Pampanga Giant Lanterns | 30 | 21 | 9 | .700 | 5 | Playoffs |
| 5 | Bataan Risers | 30 | 20 | 10 | .667 | 6 | Playoffs |
| 6 | Bulacan Kuyas | 30 | 19 | 11 | .633 | 7 | Playoffs |
| 7 | Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 8 | Playoffs |
| 8 | Pasay Voyagers | 30 | 17 | 13 | .567 | 9 | Playoffs |
| 9 | Caloocan Supremos | 30 | 16 | 14 | .533 | 10 | |
| 10 | Valenzuela Classic | 30 | 11 | 19 | .367 | 15 | |
| 11 | Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards | 30 | 10 | 20 | .333 | 16 | |
| 12 | Quezon City Capitals | 30 | 10 | 20 | .333 | 16 | |
| 13 | Marikina Shoemasters | 30 | 8 | 22 | .267 | 18 | |
| 14 | Parañaque Patriots | 30 | 8 | 22 | .267 | 18 | |
| 15 | Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines | 29 | 7 | 22 | .241 | 18.5 | |
| 16 | Rizal Golden Coolers | 29 | 6 | 23 | .207 | 19.5 | |
* 1 2 Nueva Ecija wins tiebreaker over Quezon City by head-to-head victory.
* 1 2 Marikina wins tiebreaker over Parañaque by head-to-head victory.

#### South Division

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | PCT | GB | Qualification |
| 1 | Davao Occidental Tigers | 30 | 26 | 4 | .867 | — | Playoffs |
| 2 | Bacoor City Strikers | 30 | 24 | 6 | .800 | 2 | Playoffs |
| 3 | Basilan Steel | 30 | 20 | 10 | .667 | 6 | Playoffs |
| 4 | Batangas City Athletics | 30 | 19 | 11 | .633 | 7 | Playoffs |
| 5 | Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 8 | Playoffs |
| 6 | Iloilo United Royals | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 8 | Playoffs |
| 7 | GenSan Warriors | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 8 | Playoffs |
| 8 | Bicol Volcanoes | 30 | 16 | 14 | .533 | 10 | Playoffs |
| 9 | Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol | 30 | 15 | 15 | .500 | 11 | |
| 10 | Biñan City Luxxe White | 30 | 12 | 18 | .400 | 14 | |
| 11 | Bacolod Master Sardines | 30 | 11 | 19 | .367 | 15 | |
| 12 | Mindoro Tamaraws | 30 | 9 | 21 | .300 | 17 | |
| 13 | Muntinlupa Cagers | 30 | 7 | 23 | .233 | 19 | |
| 14 | Imus Bandera | 30 | 6 | 24 | .200 | 20 | |
| 15 | Sarangani Marlins | 30 | 1 | 29 | .033 | 25 | |
* 1 2 3 Zamboanga (1.071), Iloilo (0.976), and General Santos (0.960) are ranked based on head-to-head point quotient.

### Results

| Teams | BCR | BAS | BAN | BTG | BCL | BIÑ | BUL | CAL | CEB | DVO | GS | ILO | IMS | MKT | MNL | MAR | MDR | MUN | NAV | NE | PAM | PAR | PSY | PSG | QC | RZL | SJ | SAR | VAL | ZAM |
| Bacolod | 100–107** | 96–89 | 64–84 | 54–63 | 76–72** | 69–68 | 76–69 | 74–89 | 80–85 | 74–85 | 68–87 | 81–89 | 68–59 | 74–84 | 70–87 | 67–66 | 87–83 | 98–86** | 69–78 | 76–82 | 65–82 | 78–82 | 50–61 | 68–87 | 68–63 | 84–89 | 71–95 | 89–80 | 83–78 | 84–82 |
| Bacoor City | | 90–92 | 93–66 | 67–68 | 84–80 | 78–70 | 78–76 | 95–94** | 88–71 | 73–70 | 87–75 | 79–68 | 79–57 | 86–63 | 74–78 | 100–88 | 76–59 | 98–67 | 87–78 | 90–80 | 69–76 | 109–56 | 78–83 | 73–64 | 111–79 | 87–84 | 76–77 | 65–60 | 78–74 | 83–75 |
| Basilan | | | 83–91 | 89–101** | 83–94 | 78–94 | 55–65 | 82–70 | 86–78 | 71–76 | 85–79 | 78–74 | 98–85 | 80–86 | 65–66 | 86–83 | 105–89 | 90–79 | 113–94 | 93–81 | 83–74** | 89–71 | 74–59 | 89–83** | 86–78 | 103–85 | 86–89 | 85–82 | 87–78 | 78–83 |
| Bataan | | | | 69–73 | 76–72 | 75–62 | 79–81** | 90–77 | 65–75 | 75–83 | 74–66 | 78–84 | 65–61 | 69–76 | 76–77 | 82–76 | 97–87 | 86–53 | 81–78 | 71–60 | 77–76 | 75–56 | 72–71 | 63–64 | 79–73 | 78–57 | 79–87** | 102–71 | 86–92** | 92–79 |
| Batangas City | | | | | 71–76 | 85–95 | 81–82 | 80–67 | 68–56 | 57–67 | 85–79 | 65–59 | 86–85** | 94–89** | 50–73 | 70–66 | 106–99 | 79–70 | 72–68 | 81–85 | 79–82** | 57–61 | 61–72 | 67–62 | 105–80 | 76–78 | 93–88 | 76–54 | 77–66 | 77–67 |
| Bicol | | | | | | 80–75 | 81–83 | 73–81 | 77–67 | 76–88 | 65–63 | 74–77 | 81–78** | 75–83 | 73–76 | 86–67 | 70–74 | 90–87 | 88–73 | 70–58 | 82–70 | 79–68 | 73–68 | 73–75 | 89–87 | 77–79 | 69–98 | 86–72 | 90–81** | 84–80 |
| Biñan City | | | | | | | 82–87 | 72–68 | 85–81** | 66–72 | 76–100 | 63–67 | 88–83 | 87–92 | 93–106 | 82–72 | 95–82 | 90–102 | 98–110 | 98–90 | 86–96 | 70–73 | 57–68 | 75–82 | 85–110 | 92–82 | 84–89 | 94–72 | 89–84 | 74–72 |
| Bulacan | | | | | | | | 81–79 | 75–71 | 75–91 | 77–81 | 73–83 | 75–70 | 76–74 | 72–93 | 81–79 | 74–69 | 77–62 | 105–104** | 78–85 | 63–69 | 76–69 | 100–98** | 72–77 | 78–70 | 75–61 | 88–90 | 76–69 | 95–79 | 59–60 |
| Caloocan | | | | | | | | | 70–54 | 69–76 | 79–70 | 63–90 | 75–78** | 77–119 | 72–65 | 76–74 | 93–90 | 63–62 | 97–96 | 92–90 | 70–76 | 90–75 | 78–72 | 87–89 | 84–87 | 92–78 | 89–111 | 93–77 | 76–65 | 83–74 |
| Cebu | | | | | | | | | | 61–65 | 72–66 | 69–68 | 101–76 | 67–73 | 91–86** | 50–42 | 73–94 | 79–62 | 83–71 | 77–73 | 77–88 | 79–70 | 74–82 | 68–78 | 95–89 | 89–59 | 69–88 | 89–57 | 66–69 | 74–70 |
| Davao Occidental | | | | | | | | | | | 84–75 | 89–76 | 94–78 | 101–79 | 79–76 | 85–83 | 99–84 | 106–90 | 94–74 | 86–79 | 62–65 | 78–70 | 69–67 | 75–71 | 90–82 | 86–55 | 65–84 | 104–75 | 65–67 | 84–82 |
| General Santos | | | | | | | | | | | | 69–64 | 75–73 | 90–91** | 72–79 | 96–89 | 88–80 | 84–61 | 87–76 | 80–75 | 85–94 | 78–67 | 76–69 | 91–82 | 124–103 | 70–69 | 97–91 | 104–87 | 93–87 | 52–62 |
| Iloilo | | | | | | | | | | | | | 73–69** | 71–78 | 88–85 | 70–55 | 68–70 | 92–96 | 72–67 | 92–90 | 76–70 | 67–64 | 52–56 | 79–65 | 80–84 | 71–65 | 67–70 | 96–86 | 73–67 | 60–58 |
| Imus | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 64–69 | 58–85 | 86–89 | 88–86 | 86–90 | 86–71 | 75–73 | 82–99 | 77–81 | 65–82 | 88–93 | 93–105 | 79–77** | 68–97 | 82–70 | 67–73 | 72–88 |
| Makati | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 56–64 | 85–70 | 97–65 | 81–68 | 67–62 | 74–80 | 96–94 | 91–71 | 61–79 | 101–87 | 85–91 | 73–51 | 86–88 | 106–70 | 78–61 | 111–106** |
| Manila | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 107–95 | 133–101 | 76–57 | 96–91 | 96–86 | 92–76 | 106–78 | 73–72 | 69–56 | 85–86 | 116–89 | 75–70 | 104–89 | 71–66 | 74–71 |
| Marikina | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 75–80 | 85–75 | 88–80 | 76–78 | 69–95 | 89–82 | 66–70 | 63–69 | 76–77** | 87–86 | 73–87 | 99–95 | 70–65 | 62–74 |
| Mindoro | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 76–85 | 57–72 | 79–78 | 78–85 | 63–61 | 72–84 | 76–75 | 62–72 | 74–73 | 68–114 | 91–87 | 59–67 | 64–84 |
| Muntinlupa | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 83–89 | 82–85 | 66–77 | 87–78 | 75–76** | 76–98 | 106–100 | 66–70 | 63–91 | 58–55 | 83–97 | 63–75 |
| Navotas | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 125–97 | 74–83 | 71–82 | 68–70 | 100–107 | 97–98* | – | 95–112 | 88–82 | 88–83 | 65–80 |
| Nueva Ecija | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 75–81 | 85–81 | 69–75 | 72–85 | 92–74 | 84–71 | 95–109 | 89–50 | 116–119** | 85–109 |
| Pampanga | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 82–63 | 75–65 | 71–62 | 75–81 | 90–70 | 97–102** | 115–71 | 77–74 | 59–73 |
| Parañaque | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 60–79 | 87–100 | 83–85 | 101–70 | 65–81 | 73–70 | 89–83 | 65–74 |
| Pasay | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 68–71 | 92–89 | 74–69 | 72–74 | 70–54 | 61–77 | 82–83 |
| Pasig | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 92–81 | 78–72 | 99–109 | 89–77 | 90–72 | 69–82 |
| Quezon City | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 62–72 | 71–89 | 74–78 | 65–70 | 60–71 |
| Rizal | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 86–101 | 77–73 | 77–81 | 76–95 |
| San Juan | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 100–77 | 78–68 | 64–69 |
| Sarangani | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 84–89 | 75–100 |
| Valenzuela | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 78–85 |
| Zamboanga | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* ↑ The Navotas–Rizal game was stopped at halftime for player safety. The game was not resumed due to it having no effect on playoff standings. Final score was 56–39 in favor of Rizal.
Not all games are in home–away format. Each team plays every team once. Number of asterisks after each score denotes number of overtimes played.

## Playoffs

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its division, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.
| First round (best-of-3) | First round (best-of-3) | First round (best-of-3) | | | Division semifinals (best-of-3) | Division semifinals (best-of-3) | Division semifinals (best-of-3) | Division finals (best-of-3) | Division finals (best-of-3) | Division finals (best-of-3) | | National finals (best-of-5) | National finals (best-of-5) | National finals (best-of-5) |
| N1 | San Juan | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N8 | Pasay | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N8 | Pasay | 0 | | | N1 | San Juan | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N4 | Pampanga | 0 | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Pampanga | 2 | | | N4 | Pampanga | 0 | | | | | | | |
| N5 | Bataan | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N5 | Bataan | 0 | | | | | | N1 | San Juan | 2 | | | | |
| North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | N1 | San Juan | 2 | | | | |
| North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | North Division | N3 | Makati | 1 | | | | |
| N2 | Manila | 2 | | | | | | | | | N3 | Makati | 1 | | | | |
| N7 | Pasig | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N7 | Pasig | 0 | | | N2 | Manila | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N3 | Makati | 2 | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Makati | 2 | | | N3 | Makati | 2 | | | | | | | |
| N6 | Bulacan | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N6 | Bulacan | 0 | | | | | | | | | | N1 | San Juan | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | S1 | Davao Occidental | 3 |
| S1 | Davao Occidental | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | S1 | Davao Occidental | 3 |
| S8 | Bicol | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S8 | Bicol | 1 | | | S1 | Davao Occidental | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | S5 | Zamboanga | 0 | | | | | | | |
| S4 | Batangas City | 1 | | | S5 | Zamboanga | 0 | | | | | | | |
| S5 | Zamboanga | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S5 | Zamboanga | 2 | | | | | | S1 | Davao Occidental | 2 | | | | |
| South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | S1 | Davao Occidental | 2 | | | | |
| South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | South Division | S3 | Basilan | 1 | | | | |
| S2 | Bacoor City | 2 | | | | | | | | | S3 | Basilan | 1 | | | | |
| S7 | General Santos | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S7 | General Santos | 0 | | | S2 | Bacoor City | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | S3 | Basilan | 2 | | | | | | | |
| S3 | Basilan | 2 | | | S3 | Basilan | 2 | | | | | | | |
| S6 | Iloilo | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* view
* talk

### First Round

In the First Round, the first- and second-seeded teams host games 1 and 3 of its respective division, while the third- and fourth-seeded teams host game 2.

#### North Division First Round

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| (1) San Juan Knights | 2–0 | (8) Pasay Voyagers | 75–74 | 74–67 | — |
| (2) Manila Stars | 2–0 | (7) Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors | 91–88 | 82–80 | — |
| (3) Makati Super Crunch | 2–0 | (6) Bulacan Kuyas | 94–88 | 86–78 | — |
| (4) Pampanga Giant Lanterns | 2–0 | (5) Bataan Risers | 71–64 | 83–80 | — |

#### South Division first round

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| (1) Davao Occidental Tigers | 2–1 | (8) Bicol Volcanoes | 77–71 | 81–84 | 64–56 (OT) |
| (2) Bacoor City Strikers | 2–0 | (7) GenSan Warriors | 95–72 | 69–60 | — |
| (3) Basilan Steel | 2–0 | (6) Iloilo United Royals | 83–68 | 70–63 | — |
| (4) Batangas City Athletics | 1–2 | (5) Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | 74–78 | 84–75 | 52–69 |

### Division semifinals

In the Division Semifinals, the highest seeded team hosts games 1 and 3, while the second-highest seeded team hosts game 2.

#### North Division semifinals

Due to San Juan advancing after game 2, Manila instead hosted game 3.
| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| (1) San Juan Knights | 2–0 | (4) Pampanga Giant Lanterns | 86–84 | 91–83 | — |
| (2) Manila Stars | 1–2 | (3) Makati Super Crunch | 77–74 | 59–75 | 75–78 (OT) |

#### South Division semifinals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| (1) Davao Occidental Tigers | 2–0 | (5) Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | 47–28 | 62–58 | — |
| (2) Bacoor City Strikers | 1–2 | (3) Basilan Steel | 63–77 | 80–69 | 76–84 |

### Division finals

Under standard rules, in the division finals, the higher-seeded team hosts games 1 and 3 in its respective division, while the lower-seeded team hosts game 2.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the playoffs had to be suspended after both game 2s were played. The suspension lasted for a year, until the league were cleared by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to host a bubble at the Subic Bay Gymnasium in Olongapo, Zambales, where all remaining games were played.

#### North Division finals

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, San Juan ended up hosting games 1 and 2, the latter being held behind closed doors. Game 3 was held at a neutral site in the Subic Bay Gymnasium.
| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| (1) San Juan Knights | 2–1 | (3) Makati Super Crunch | 76–60 | 88–91 | 131–54 |

#### South Division finals

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, game 3 would've been held at a neutral site in the Subic Bay Gymnasium.
However, game 3 was defaulted because multiple Basilan Steel members were tested positive for COVID-19 inside the bubble. Thus the game and the series was won by Davao Occidental as the Tigers advanced to the MPBL finals.
| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| (1) Davao Occidental Tigers | 2–1 | (3) Basilan Steel | 72–74 | 81–76 | 2–0 (default) |

### MPBL finals

Neither team had homecourt advantage due to all games being held at the Subic Bay Gymnasium.
| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 |
| (N1) San Juan Knights | 1–3 | (S1) Davao Occidental Tigers | 75–77 (OT) | 70–65 | 58–66 | 88–89 (OT) | — |

## All-Star Game

The 2020 MPBL All-Star Game was an exhibition game played on February 13, 2020. It was the second edition of the MPBL All-Star Game, which took place at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, the same venue as the previous edition.
For the second consecutive season, South Division won against the North Division with a score of 126–122 in overtime. Jeff Viernes was also declared the All-Star Game MVP for the second time in a row.

### Lineups

Out of the 30 players selected, eight of them made their second all-star appearance. Those being Cedric Ablaza of the Makati Super Crunch, Gerald Anderson of the Imus Bandera, Gab Banal of the Bacoor City Strikers, Aris Dionisio of the Manila Stars, Paulo Hubalde of Val City Carga Backload Solution, Jay-R Taganas of the Bulacan Kuyas, Jeff Viernes of the Batangas City Athletics, and Mark Yee of the Davao Occidental Tigers.
North All-Stars :
| Pos | Player | Team | No. of selections |
| Starters ||||
| | Alfred Batino | Bataan Risers | 1 |
| | Aris Dionisio | Manila Stars | 2 |
| | Michael Juico | Pampanga Giant Lanterns | 1 |
| | Jai Reyes | Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards | 1 |
| | John Wilson | San Juan Knights | 1 |
| Reserves ||||
| | Cedric Ablaza | Makati Super Crunch | 2 |
| | Mark Benitez | Rizal Golden Coolers | 1 |
| | Clark Derige | Quezon City Capitals | 1 |
| | Paulo Hubalde | Val City Carga Backload Solution | 2 |
| | Dhon Reverente | Pasay Voyagers | 1 |
| | Paul Sanga | Caloocan Supremos | 1 |
| | Jayboy Solis | Parañaque Patriots | 1 |
| | Jay-R Taganas | Bulacan Kuyas | 2 |
| | Marwin Taywan | Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines | 1 |
| | Jeric Teng | Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors | 1 |
| | Ato Ular | Marikina Shoemasters | 1 |
| Head coach: Randy Alcantara (San Juan Knights) ||||
South All-Stars :
| Pos | Player | Team | No. of selections |
| Starters ||||
| | Gab Banal | Bacoor City Strikers | 2 |
| | Allyn Bulanadi | Basilan Steel | 1 |
| | Will McAloney | Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol | 1 |
| | Jeff Viernes | Batangas City Athletics | 2 |
| | Mark Yee | Davao Occidental Tigers | 2 |
| Reserves ||||
| | Gerald Anderson | Imus Bandera | 2 |
| | Ronjay Buenafe | Bicol Volcanoes | 1 |
| | Robby Celiz | GenSan Warriors | 1 |
| | Richard Escoto | Iloilo United Royals | 1 |
| | Pao Javelona | Bacolod Master Sardines | 1 |
| | Pari Llagas | Sarangani Marlins | 1 |
| | Allan Mangahas | Biñan City Luxxe White | 1 |
| | Alvin Pasaol | Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines | 1 |
| | Rodel Vaygan | Mindoro Tamaraws | 1 |
| | GJ Ylagan | Muntinlupa Cagers | 1 |
| Head coach: Don Dulay (Davao Occidental) ||||

### Game

* S+A
* February 13
| North All-Stars | 122–126 (OT) | South All-Stars |
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 28–23, 28–29, 33–32, Overtime: 10–14 |||
| Pts: Michael Juico 23 | | Pts: Jeff Viernes 28 |
* Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay

### Pre-game events

Before the game itself, a series of pre-game events were held. Returning events include the executives' Game, Three-Point Shootout and the Slam Dunk Contest.
* Three-Point Shootout Champion: Lester Alvarez (Bulacan Kuyas)
* Slam Dunk Contest Champion: David Carlos (Makati Super Crunch)

## Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

On March 12, 2020, the league announced the suspension of the 2019–20 season due to the impending COVID-19 pandemic. The league had just concluded with the second games of both division finals series, with both series being forced into a do-or-die third game. Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes stated in June that the suspended playoffs would continue once restrictions on contact sports have been lifted by the government. The suspension lasted nearly one year, as the league announced on March 6, 2021 that it would finally resume its 2020 playoffs in a bio-secure bubble at the Subic Bay Gymnasium on March 10. The 2020–21 season was also cancelled, with the league instead intending to start its fourth season in June 2021 before ultimately settling for 2022.

## Awards
### Individual season awards

Most of the league's individual awards were given out before game 4 of the national finals at the Subic Bay Gymnasium. The Finals Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year were awarded at the conclusion of the series.
| Award | Recipient | Team |
| Most Valuable Player | John Wilson | San Juan Knights |
| Finals Most Valuable Player | Mark Yee | Davao Occidental Tigers |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Mark Yee | Davao Occidental Tigers |
| Sportsmanship award | Billy Ray Robles | Davao Occidental Tigers |

### All-MPBL teams

All-MPBL First Team :
| Player | Team |
| John Wilson | San Juan Knights |
| Mike Ayonayon | San Juan Knights |
| Mark Yee | Davao Occidental Tigers |
| Jeric Teng | Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors |
| Jeckster Apinan | Makati Super Crunch |
All-MPBL Second Team :
| Player | Team |
| Gab Banal | Bacoor City Strikers |
| John Raymundo | GenSan Warriors |
| Aris Dionisio | Manila Stars |
| Chris Bitoon | Manila Stars |
| Dhon Reverente | Pasay Voyagers |

### Players of the Week

| Week | Player |
| June 12−15, 2019 | Mark Cruz (Pampanga Giant Lanterns) |
| June 17−22, 2019 | Aris Dionisio (Manila Stars) |
| June 24−29, 2019 | Aaron Black (Quezon City Capitals) |
| July 1–6, 2019 | Allan Mangahas (Biñan City Heroes) |
| July 8–13, 2019 | |
| July 15–20, 2019 | Mark Yee (Davao Occidental Tigers) |
| July 22–27, 2019 | |
| July 29 – August 3, 2019 | Edzel Mag-isa (Muntinlupa Cagers) |
| August 5–10, 2019 | Jeric Teng (Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors) |
| August 12–17, 2019 | |
| August 19–24, 2019 | |
| August 26–31, 2019 | |
| September 2–7, 2019 | Michael Juico (Pampanga Giant Lanterns) |
| September 9–14, 2019 | |
| September 16–21, 2019 | |
| September 23–28, 2019 | |
| September 30 – October 5, 2019 | |
| October 7–12, 2019 | RJ Ramirez (Bacoor City Strikers) |

## Notable events

* On November 4, 2019, the league suspended the Soccsksargen Marlins team due to allegations of game-fixing, as part of the league's greater crackdown on the issue. The team was later turned over to new management and was renamed to the Sarangani Marlins. Two years later, criminal charges were filed against the members involved.

## Records and milestones
### Milestones

* January 11, 2020 – John Wilson becomes the 1st ever player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
* February 12, 2020 – Yves Sazon becomes the 2nd player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
* March 9, 2020 – Mark Yee becomes the 3rd player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.
* March 11, 2020 – Juneric Baloria becomes the 4th player to reach 1,000 MPBL career points.

## Media

This season marked the third and final year of both ABS-CBN's and Fox Sports Asia's broadcast rights with the league.
For ABS-CBN, games were broadcast on S+A, Liga, and The Filipino Channel, while iWantTFC served as the network's international streaming platform. A2Z also broadcast the bubble games of the 2020–21 playoffs. The network's broadcast rights came to an end after the network's franchise was expired. On the other hand, Fox Sports Asia continued to broadcast Monday games as the league's cable partner. The network itself shut down on October 1, 2021.
IBC and TAP DMV would take over the television rights in the 2021 Invitational, while Cignal TV acquired the rights beginning with the succeeding 2022 season.
The league continued to broadcast all of the games on its official Facebook page.