Tony Bishop fit in like a glove as Ginebra added to the woes of Converge, 100-86, for a victorious start to their PBA Commissioner’s Cup title defense bid, Friday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Hardly riddled by chemistry issues, the returning import finished with 34 points on 48-percent shooting from the field, alongside 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks to lead the Kings to a successful Season 48 opener.
“We didn’t feel like Tony was the foreign to us when he came to the team. We felt we had a really good feel for the kind of game he plays and the personality he has,” offered head coach Tim Cone of Bishop.
Christian Standhardinger delivered 25 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists as he was the only other provider for the crowd darlings aside from Bishop early on.
He scored 17 while Bishop made eight to combine for Ginebra’s 25 points in the first quarter but they trailed by five despite their efforts.
But the others didn’t allow it to become just a two-man show, with Scottie Thompson and Stanley Pringle joining hands for a key 13-0 run to give themselves the 54-50 advantage just before the second period ended.
Momentum began to swing the Kings’ way since. From a slim one-point lead, Standhardinger sparked a 14-2 blitz to finish the quarter up big, 80-67, and they would never allow the FIberXers to get any more closer.
Thompson finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists while Japeth Aguilar added a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards in the win that also served as a fitting welcome to Maverick Ahanmisi.
Now they focus on Sunday’s game against the 3-0 Magnolia in the newest chapter of their Manila Clasico rivalry. Game is at 6:15 p.m. at the Big Dome.
Justin Arana, on the other hand, had 20 points and eight rebounds for Converge, who absorbed its third loss in as many games.
The FiberXers will try to earn their first win of the season against San Miguel on November 25 in Tiaong, Quezon for the season’s first out-of-town game.
The Scores:
Ginebra 100 – Bishop 34, Standhardinger 25, Thompson 13, J.Aguilar 11, Pringle 8, Ahanmisi 7, Pinto 2, Pessumal 0, Cu 0, Gumaru 0.
Converge 86 – Arana 20, Vodanovich 13, Balanza 13, Zaldivar 9, Nieto 7, Melecio 7, Stockton 6, Winston 5, Caralipio 3, Racal 3, Wong 0, Fornilos 0, Maagdenberg 0, Tallo 0.
Quarterscores: 25-30, 54-52, 80-67, 100-86
