THE first half of its duel with NorthPort was not a sight to behold for defending champion Ginebra and its horde of die-hard fans who came in droves last Sunday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Kings coach Tim Cone was far from satisfied after the Batang Pier forged a 50-all standoff at the break but his charges eventually got the job done, thanks to a furious 12-0 binge in the final canto that sent the pro-Ginebra crowd roaring after every basket.
As far as Cone is concerned, games like that would bring out the best in the Kings’ bid for a Top 4 finish at the end of the eliminations that will be rewarded with a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“We’re getting there. A lot of it depends on whether you make the Top 4 or the bottom 4,” Cone said after the Kings scored a 103-93 victory. “We’re in the bottom 4 at this point, so we still have our work cut out for us. Tonight was a good game because we had to earn the victory.
“They really made us earn it. They played a tremendous first half offensively, they were moving the ball really well, and hitting shots,” he added.
The criticisms thrown by the Ginebra faithful on import Tony Bishop in the Kings’ previous games seemingly galvanized him.
“It was really a great performance tonight on both sides of the floor,” Cone said of Bishop, who notched a double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds, to go with two assists. “Defensively, his ability to switch out on players really adds to our defense and he controls the board with his length.
“So, I keep telling him that anything he gives us from this point of view is icing on the cake.”
Bishop, tasked to lead Ginebra in its drive for a second straight title in the import-spiced tourney, got plenty of help.
Christian Standhardinger chipped in 16 markers, seven boards, and five dimes while Jamie Malonzo had 16 and nine.
Japeth Aguilar, Maverick Ahanmisi, and Stanley Pringle also added 15, 13, and 10 points, respectively as the Kings scored a fitting follow up to an 86-78 triumph over the TNT Tropang Giga last Christmas Day and rose to 7-3 in a tie with the San Miguel Beermen for fourth.
NorthPort, coming off a 106-89 whipping of Blackwater three days back, slipped to 6-5.
Cone admitted the 6-foot-8 Bishop is playing through a knee injury.
“He banged up his knee in practice. There’s some swelling, but all the ligaments are intact,” Coen said. “So, it’s just a matter of maintenance, icing it down, keep the swelling out, and hopefully it will be OK,
Bishop insisted he would be just fine for the quarterfinals.
“It’s no concern. Don’t worry about it. I’m a tough player. I played through injuries a bit,” he said. “It’s part of the game. Going to the playoffs, I don’t know anybody who’s not banged up.
“For me, I’ll continue to work hard and continue to get therapy. You know that’s part of basketball, that’s part of being a pro. So, we’ll take it day by day.”
Arvin Tolentino carried the fight for the Batang Pier with 27 points and six caroms, while reinforcement Venky Jois totaled 21 markers and 17 rebounds.
Paul Zamar and JM Calma also combined for 21 for NorthPort.
