B-Meg downs Ginebra in Game 2 to take commanding lead in PBA semifinal series

Game today

Cuneta Astrodome

7:10 p.m.- Talk ‘N Text vs. Barako Bull

The B-Meg Llamados moved a game away from reaching the semifinal round by pulling off a hard-earned 83-77 win over the Barangay Ginebra Kings last night in Game 2 of their best-of-five quarterfinal series of the 37th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Import Denzel Bowles finished with a game-high 21 points, James Yap scattered 16 points but it was Peter June Simon who helped the Llamados seal the win by scoring the team’s last eight points.

Simon finished with 15 points as the Llamados went up 2-0, needing just one more win to advance to the championship round.

Ginebra forced the ninth deadlock of the ballgame when KG Canaleta nailed three free throws to peg the tally at 75-all with 2:35 left.

Simon then scored six straight points as the Kings didn’t score until Rudy Hatfield completed a meaningless putback that made it 77-81 with only 2.2 seconds left.

“We put up a special effort to go up 2-0 and we have to double that effort to finish off this series,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone.

BOX SCORES

B-MEG (83) – Bowles 21, Yap 16, Simon 15, Urbiztondo 12, Pingris 12, Intal 3, Devance 2, Reavis 2.

GINEBRA (77)- Canaleta 19, Cortez 17, Vroman 10, Helterbrand 8, Hatfield 8, Ababou 6, Raymundo 5, Wilson J. 3, Wilson W.

.QUARTERSCORES: 23-19, 37-41, 63-59, 83-77