Tony Bishop swears that his knee injury is hardly a concern as he leads Barangay Ginebra to a top four finish in the elimination round of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.
Bishop said everything is alright after he hurt his knee during their training before facing NorthPort last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Against the Batang Pier, Bishop was strong as a bull as he pumped in 26 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Kings to a 103-93 victory that boosted their chances to gain a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals of the season-opening conference.
The Kings are now tied with sister team San Miguel Beer at the fourth spot with a 7-3 win-loss card. They, however, can still end up in the top four for a quarterfinal bonus should they beat NLEX at the Ibalong Centrum for Recreation in Legazpi City in Albay this Saturday.
“It’s no concern. Don’t worry about it. I’m a tough player and played through injuries,” Bishop said.
“Going into the playoffs, I don’t know anybody who’s not banged up. For me, I’ll continue to work hard and get therapy.”
“I played through injuries a bit. It’s part of the game. Going to the playoffs, I don’t know anybody who’s not banged up.”
Despite the massive pressure for replacing fan-favorite Justin Brownlee, Bishop remains the focal point of Ginebra offense as he averages 22.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.
His highest output was when he erupted for 34 points and 12 rebounds in their season-opener against Converge, 100-86, last 15 November.
Ginebra head coach Tim Cone is optimistic over Bishop’s health concern despite failing to practice for two days.
“He banged his knee up during practice. It’s some swelling but all the ligaments are intact. It’s just a matter of maintenance and icing it down. Hopefully it’s okay,” Cone said.
“So far, so good, according to Tony. Everything is good.”
The two-time Grand Slam mentor also lauded Bishop’s willingness to integrate himself into the Kings’ system despite only playing his first conference.
“Defensively, his ability to switch out on players adds to our defense and he controls the boards,” Cone said.
