Tony Bishop allayed concerns after suffering a minor knee injury in the midst of Ginebra’s top four chase in the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup.
The Ginebra import hardly feels bothered by the issue, assuring that he can play through it.
He remains keen on helping the reigning conference champions to their best possible finish in the eliminations for a better placing in the quarterfinals.
“It’s no concern,” the 34-year-old said. “Don’t worry about it. I’m a tough player. I’ve played through injuries. I’m a vet. It’s part of the game.
“Going into the playoffs, I don’t know anybody who’s not banged up,” he added. “For me I’ll continue to work hard. I’ll continue to get therapy. That’s part of basketball, part of being a pro. Let’s just take it day by day.”
His condition was disclosed by Coach Tim Cone shortly after their 103-93 win over NorthPort on Sunday night at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The champion mentor said that Bishop got hurt during practice, and was not able to join the team workouts for two days.
But there was no ligament damage, he added, although it does not stop the Barangay’s medical staff from continuously monitoring his knee.
“It’s some swelling but all the ligaments are intact. Just a matter of maintenance, icing it down, and keeping the swelling out. Hopefully, he’ll be OK. But there’s no surgery or real rehab involved. Hopefully, he’ll be good to go,” Cone said.
“But we’ll know more tomorrow,” added the PBA’s winningest coach. “He didn’t practice for two days and he came and played today. So we’ll check out his knee tomorrow and see if it continues to swell or if it gets worse.”
Bishop showed that he was all fine with the way he played against the Batang Pier. He poured 26 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, five steals, and a block to lead Ginebra to a share of the fourth spot with San Miguel in the standings.
“So far so good, according to Tony. Everything’s good,” said Cone. “He’s just gonna be a little sore in the next couple of days.”
The Kings won’t play until Saturday, January 13, against NLEX at the Ibalong Centrum for Recreation in Albay, which is also their final game of the elims.
