1988 PBA Open Conference Finals

The 1988 PBA Open Conference Finals is the best-of-7 series basketball championship of the 1988 PBA Open Conference. For the second time in league history, the best-of-seven finals went the full distance. The San Miguel Beermen took the title in a classic series, denying the Purefoods Hotdogs a Cinderella finish in its maiden season in the PBA.

Finals Recap

• San Miguel leads by as much as 23 points early (51-28) in the 2nd Quarter in Game 1 of the finals, and 62-47 at the half, the closest Purefoods came within was six points (86-80), barely a minute into the fourth period.
• In Game 3, rookie Jojo Lastimosa put on a show as led Purefoods to a 22-4 blitz that turn an 84-74 San Miguel lead to a 96-88 Purefoods win, back-to-back triples by Lastimosa and Al Solis pushed the Hotdogs to within four, 80-84, San Miguel was up, 88-85, when Purefoods called a timeout, eleven unanswered points by the Hotdogs followed with Lastimosa's three-point play gave them a 90-88 advantage.
• Game 4 had Purefoods up, 88-86, time down to two minutes, when they failed to score, and the beermen putting on a 7-0 finishing kick, Hotdogs import David Thirdkill missing three times as he was trying to force his shots after San Miguel regain the upperhand at 89-88.
• In Game 5, veterans Ramon Fernandez and Abet Guidaben got into several ugly plays early, Purefoods on top by 16, 80-64 after three quarters, but the beermen threatened twice in the final period, the last at 95-94 when Jojo Lastimosa hit a three-point shot, and another two points by Purefoods gave them a six-point edge at 100-94.
• Just before Game 7, PBA Commissioner Rudy Salud summoned Ramon Fernandez and Abet Guidaben for separate offenses in Games 5 and 6, Fernandez was taken to task for not just blaming the referees but accusing them of favoring Purefoods' opponent- San Miguel Beer, while Guidaben was summoned for his reaction at the endgame elbow thrown at him by Fernandez in Game 6 but also his behavior in Game 5. both were fined by the Commissioner's Office.
• San Miguel Beer, showing championship composure, eked out a 94-92 win before a capacity crowd of more than 12,000 at the ULTRA in the deciding Game 7. Ricardo Brown's two free throws off a sixth foul by Purefoods playing coach Ramon Fernandez with 11 seconds left gave the beermen a four point edge, 94-90, and put an end to the series that had gone the full length of seven games. Purefoods import David Thirdkill could only score 16 points in the final game, his lowest in his entire playing career in the PBA.

Games Summary

Broadcast notes

External links

• PBA official website