The San Miguel Beermen completed a 134-109 rout of Barangay Ginebra in Game 2 to equalize the 2018 PBA Commissioner's Cup finals showdown on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Coming off a lopsided loss in the series opener, the Beermen exacted revenge on the Gin Kings by coming out strong in the first half and preserving their double-digit lead until the final buzzer.

"You know, we're so sad with what happened last game, we were humiliated. This time we were able to get back and even the series," SMB coach Leo Austria said. "Now we have a series. I'm so Thankful to the players because they were able to realize the importance of Game 2."

Alex Cabagnot wreaked havoc with 33 points including five 3-pointers, to go with nine assists, four rebounds, and four steals. June Mar Fajardo chipped in 25 points and eight boards, while Renaldo Balkman, Marcio Lassiter, and Christian Standhardinger had 20 markers Each. Behind Cabagnot's hot hands, San Miguel mounted a 29-point lead at the halftime break. Justin Brownlee and Sol Mercado sparked Ginebra's 33-point surge in the third quarter but they only managed to trim the deficit down to 19.

The Beermen continued to fend off the Gin Kings in the fourth frame with Arwind Santos spearheading the charge before he got ejected at the 5:18 mark for a hit on Scottie Thompson.

A few seconds later, it was Chris Ross' turn to get thrown off the court. He was whistled for a second technical foul for taunting after a collision with Joe Devance under the basket.

Despite losing two players, San Miguel still maintained its huge cushion especially with Brownlee fouling out with four minutes left on the clock. Brownlee finished with 29 points, six rebounds, and five assists after a 42-point explosion in the previous game. Thompson and Devance added 16 markers apiece.

THE SCORES

San Miguel (134): Cabagnot 33, Fajardo 25, Lassiter 20, Balkman 20, Standhardinger 20, Santos 14, Mamaril 2, Ross 0, Lanete 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0, Pessumal 0, Vigil 0

Ginebra (109): Brownlee 29, Devance 16, Thompson 16, Slaughter 15, Tenorio 13, Mercado 11, Chan 4, R. Aguilar 2, Manuel 2, J. Aguilar 1, Ferrer 0, Caguioa 0, Cruz 0, Caperal 0 , Mariano 0, Jamito 0

NEXT GAME

Game 3 on August 1 (Wednesday), 7 pm, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum