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SMB on brink of finals after comeback win over Alaska

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/sports/07/16/20180716-renaldo-balkman.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>SMB import Renaldo Balkman attacks the basket. Richard Esguerra, ABS-CBN Sports</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA – (UPDATED) The San Miguel Beermen are one win away from returning to the Finals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.The defending champions recovered from a double-digit hole in the first half to down the Alaska Aces, 105-94, in Game 2 of their semifinals series on Monday at the Araneta Coliseum.With the victory, the Beermen now have a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series, and can wrap it all up on Wednesday at the Big Dome.Import Renaldo Balkman shook off foul trouble to score 31 points and grab 10 rebounds, while June Mar Fajardo was a force inside as usual as he tallied a double-double of 21 points and 18 rebounds.But it was defensive-minded point guard Chris Ross who made San Miguel’s victory possible, as he scored 11 of his 16 points in the pivotal third period wherein the Beermen erased an 11-point halftime deficit to take control of the game.“We&#x27;re happy, na in the second half, nag-step up ang mga players ko sa defense. I think, that&#x27;s the key,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria said after the game.The Aces led by as much as 16 points, 41-25, in the first half as San Miguel had no answer for their import. Diamon Simpson already had a double-double at the half, with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while JVee Casio and Simon Enciso fired nine points each.Alaska’s lead was summarily erased by San Miguel in one stretch, however. Ross made the Aces pay for leaving him open not once, not twice, but three times, as the guard drilled three triples in the span of a minute – turning what had been a 54-44 Alaska lead into a one-point game, 54-53.A split at the line by Fajardo tied the game, and it was back-and-forth from there until the Beermen managed to grab the lead late in the period due to the aggressive play of Balkman. The import repeatedly forced the issue against the Alaska defense, drawing fouls in the process. San Miguel built a 79-74 lead heading into the payoff period.The Aces stayed in the game thanks to Vic Manuel, who rallied from foul trouble in the first half to drain an array of jumpers against SMB. Rookie Jeron Teng also helped Alaska’s cause, as he knocked down the free throws that tied the game at 84 with 7:05 to go.Balkman, however, proved too much to handle for Alaska. The import got the lead back for SMB with a lay-up, then threw down a two-handed slam for an 88-85 lead with 6:13 to go. After Simpson cut the deficit to one with a bucket of his own, Balkman scored again – this time sparking a 9-0 blast that put the Beermen in control for good.A three-point play by Fajardo capped the rally that made it a 10-point game, 97-87. Though Alaska would make one last charge, back-to-back triples by Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot snuffed out their chances.“If we have a chance to sweep it, it’s a big advantage,” said Austria as he looked ahead to Wednesday’s Game 3. “Everybody is really tired because in the past two weeks, we never have a day off.”Cabagnot contributed 14 points and eight assists for San Miguel, which shot 48.7% from the field as a team – including 11 of 25 from beyond the arc.Simpson finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Aces, but shot an abysmal 5-of-14 from the line. Enciso also tallied 19 points, and Manuel finished with 15 – 14 of which came in the second half.<div>The scores:</div>San Miguel (105): Balkman 31, Fajardo 21, Ross 16, Cabagnot 14, Lassiter 8, Santos 5, Nabong 5, Heruela 3, Standhardinger 2Alaska (94): Simpson 19, Enciso 19, Manuel 15, Teng 13, Casio 12, Thoss 6, Cruz 5, Galliguez 3, Racal 2, Exciminiano 0, Baclao 0Quarter scores: 18-29, 41-52, 79-74, 105-94For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

(UPDATED) The San Miguel Beermen are one win away from returning to the Finals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

(UPDATED) The San Miguel Beermen are one win away from returning to the Finals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

SMB on brink of finals after comeback win over Alaska

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SMB on brink of finals after comeback win over Alaska

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 16, 2018 09:26 PM PHT

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Updated July 16, 2018 10:43 PM PHT

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San Miguel Beer

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PBA Commissioner's Cup

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