Santos' sniping lifts SMB past Magnolia to even finals series

Arwind Santos had 24 points, including six triples, which kept Magnolia with a comfortable lead and handed the San Miguel Beermen a 92-77 victory on Sunday in Game 2 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

With the win, San Miguel evened the series at 1-1, bouncing back after suffering a late meltdown against the Hotshots on Friday.

June Mar Fajardo was limited to just 12 points with 13 boards, while Marcio Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot tallied 16 and 15 points, respectively. Brian Heruela, meanwhile, paced the bench with 10.

Similar to their meeting last Friday, San Miguel led by a large margin in Game 2, stretching their advantage to as many as 21 points. The Beermen almost doubled Magnolia’s output from deep, hitting 13 triples to the Hotshots’ seven.

Coach Leo Austria’s squad also moved the ball better, tallying 25 assists to Magnolia’s 15, while also staying active on defense, accounting for nine blocks to the Hotshots’ two.

After his strong performance in Game 1, Ian Sangalang was limited to just 11 points in Game 2, while Mark Barroca did most of the damage with 18 markers. Paul Lee was the only other Magnolia player in double figures with 13.

The two teams will get to rest for the Holy Week, with Game 3 scheduled to be played on Easter Sunday, April 1, at the Araneta Coliseum. — DVM, GMA News