SMB starters combine for 90, bury Alaska in 2-0 hole

The San Miguel Beermen are on track to complete a sweep in the semifinals of the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, erasing a 16-point deficit to defeat the Alaska Aces, 105-94 in Game 2.

Renaldo Balkman scored 31 points to lead the Beermen, but the locals still pulled their weight with June Mar Fajardo leading the way with 21 points. Chris Ross and Alex Cabangnot combined for 31 in the backcourt, dishing out 12 assists combined.

The Aces led by as many as 14 points heading into the final minute of the second quarter, but a 16-2 run extending to the opening minutes of the third tied the game at 54-all. An Alex Cabagnot triple at the 3:07 mark give San Miguel a three-point lead, one that they extended to a high of seven entering the final frame, 79-72.

The Aces were still in thick of things midway through the fourth, as Diamon Simpson cut San Miguel’s lead to one, 88-87. Another 9-0 blast from the Beermen stretched the lead to double digits, before back to back triples from Arwind Santos and Cabagnot sealed the deal for San Miguel.

The Aces shot a respectable 43 percent from the field, but they failed to prevent San Miguel from finishing with a higher 48 percent clip. Alaska’s bench more than doubled their counterpart’s production, 36-15, but that did not matter so much with San Miguel’s starters contributing a high 90 points.

Simpson and Simon Enciso had 19 points apiece to lead the Aces, as Jayvee Casio rounded up the starters in double figures with 12. Vic Manuel and Jeron Teng provided the lift off the bench, hitting 15 and 13 points, respectively. — Renee Fopalan/RSJ, GMA News