2022 San Juan Knights season explained

Mpblyear:2022
Team:San Juan Knights
Team2:San Juan Knights
Arena:Filoil EcoOil Centre
Wins:14
Losses:7
Division Place:3
Division:North
Playoffs:Division Finals
Prevseason:2019–20
Nextseason:2023

The 2022 San Juan Knights season was the third season of the franchise in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

Coming off of back-to-back National Finals appearances, San Juan's start to the season came out slow with only one win out of their first four games. The Knights would continue to push on by winning 13 of the remaining 17 games to finish the season 14–7 in a three-way tie for the second seed in the North. By tiebreaker criteria, San Juan would claim the third seed.

After sweeps against Valenzuela and Pasig City,[1] San Juan would reach their third consecutive Division Finals appearance.[2] They were matched against the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, who have remained undefeated in 25 games up to that point. On opposing grounds, the Knights would lead the Rice Vanguards to their first loss of the entire season in game 1 of the North Division Finals series.[3] Despite that, San Juan would fall to Nueva Ecija in the next two games, missing the National Finals for the first time in the team's MPBL history and igniting the rivalry between the two teams.[4]

Preseason

San Juan was one of 22 teams that took part in the 2021 MPBL Invitational. The team ended their run in the Quarterfinals after losing to the Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors in the Quarterfinals.

Schedule

2021 San Juan Knights Invitational schedule
StageGameDateOpponentScoreLocationRecordRecap

<

-- Group stage -->
Group stage1December 11 W 97–64 1–0
2December 13 W 91–72 SM Mall of Asia Arena 2–0
3December 17 W 71–67 SM Mall of Asia Arena 3–0
4December 19 L 85–88SM Mall of Asia Arena 3–1
PlayoffsQFDecember 21 L 66–70 SM Mall of Asia Arena 3–2
Source: Schedule

Regular season

Schedule

2022 San Juan Knights season schedule
GameDateOpponentScoreLocationRecordRecap

<

-- Games 1–7 -->
1May 16 Filoil Flying V Centre 0–1
2May 30 Filoil Flying V Centre 1–1
3June 6 Filoil Flying V Centre 1–2
4June 13 Batangas City Coliseum 1–3
5June 25 2–3
6July 4 3–3
7July 12 Nueva Ecija Coliseum 3–4
8July 25 Muntinlupa Sports Center 4–4
9July 29 Laguna Sports Complex 5–4
10August 1 Batangas City Coliseum 6–4
11August 5 Muntinlupa Sports Center 6–5
12August 9 Strike Gymnasium 7–5
13August 16 Filoil EcoOil Centre 7–6
14August 22 8–6
15September 2 Filoil EcoOil Centre 9–6
16September 13 Nueva Ecija Coliseum 10–6
17September 17 Strike Gymnasium 11–6
18September 24 Orion Sports Complex 12–6
19September 27 12–7
20September 29 Batangas City Coliseum 13–7
21October 8 Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center 14–7
Source: Schedule

Playoffs

Schedule

2022 San Juan Knights playoff schedule
RoundGameDateOpponentScoreLocationSeriesRecap

<

-- Division Quarterfinals -->
Division Quarterfinals1October 18 1–0Recap
2October 25 Valenzuela Filoil EcoOil Centre 2–0Recap
Division Semifinals1November 7 Nueva Ecija Coliseum 1–0Recap
2November 11 Pasig City Filoil EcoOil Centre 2–0Recap
Division Finals1November 18 Nueva Ecija Coliseum 1–0Recap
2November 21 Nueva Ecija Filoil EcoOil Centre 1–1Recap
3November 25 Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija Coliseum 1–2Recap
Source: Schedule

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-10-26 . San Juan, Pasig prevail, arrange OKBet-MPBL semis . 2024-03-17 . Tempo . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2022-11-12 . MPBL: Nueva Ecija, San Juan forge North Finals showdown . 2024-03-15 . Tiebreaker Times . en-US.
  3. Web site: 2022-11-12 . N. Ecija, San Juan sweep semis rivals in OKBet-MPBL . 2024-03-17 . Tempo . en-US.
  4. News: December 2, 2022 . Nueva Ecija clinches MPBL North division crown . November 26, 2022 . Rappler.