Matthew Wright was Gilas Pilipinas’ most consistent player during the nine-day grind that was the Jones Cup. The Filipino-Canadian sniper played all nine games, averaging 14.0 points per contest on 43.1 percent shooting from downtown.
However, his much-awaited return to the Phoenix Fuel Masters turned into a dud, as the 26-year-old went field goal-less for the third time in his career, going 0-for-6 from the field for four points.
But the 6-foot-4 gunner did not cite fatigue as the reason for his forgettable outing.
“No, I’m not tired,” said the Gilas cadet after Phoenix suffered their first loss of the conference, 91-100.
Wright might be accurate with his assessment, as the energy of the Fuel Masters was flat in the first 36 minutes of the contest, falling by as much as 30 points during the third frame.
“We didn’t have a lot of energy today,” lamented the Toronto-born cager.
“We made a late push but it wasn’t enough.”
Though this might be his last game for Phoenix, as he is set to join Gilas once again in preparation for the FIBA Asia Cup, Wright is hoping that this new experience will help him grow as a player.
“I’m honored, hopefully try to get better,” declared Wright.
“Can’t wait for it!”
