Matthew Wright doesn’t mind if his shots aren’t falling.
It’s because he’s confident that it will eventually go in.
Well, that was pretty evident Thursday, when Phoenix Super LPG began its 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup journey opposite the new-look Terrafirma.
After scoring just four points on 10 shots in the first three quarters, the Fil-Canadian star caught fire and unloaded 13 points in the payoff period.
He finished with 17 points on a 35-percent clip, powering the Fuel Masters to a 103-100 victory that saw them crawl back from as deep as 17 down.
“I think you guys know I’m a pretty confident player,” he said postgame at the Ynares Sports Arena. “If I miss my first few shots in the game, that doesn’t change what I’m trying to do. I know the ball’s gonna eventually go in.”
“If it doesn’t go on the fourth time, it’s gonna go on the fifth time. If it doesn’t go in the fifth time, it’s definitely goin’ in the sixth time. And if it doesn’t go in the sixth time, then it has to go in the seventh time.
“So that’s my mentality and I will stick by it,” he added.
But it’s not just his marksmanship that was on display in the rousing win. Wright showcased his splendid playmaking as well, and ended up with 10 assists.
The 6-foot-4 guard actually dished out a key dime during their late-game rally, which led to a Chris Banchero breakaway lay-up that capped off a 9-0 blitz and gave Phoenix a 100-94 advantage with 2:13 remaining in the game.
“You can make the best passes, but if you guys aren’t finishing, you’re not gonna get the assists. Give credit to the guys who finish those passes,” said Wright, who also had six rebounds and two steals in over 34 minutes.
There was a conscious effort on the part of the 30-year-old to have the other Fuel Masters become more involved on offense, for it is a part of his renewed approach in embracing his role as the face of the franchise further.
Wright admitted that he struggled in the 2021 Philippine Cup, and is holding himself accountable for Phoenix’s disappointing campaign that saw them lose to Ginebra in the playoff for the last quarterfinal berth.
He averaged 15.5 points last conference. Though decent, that was notches lower than what he had in the Clark bubble last year, where he made 21.1 points in a run that made him Best Player of the Conference candidate.
“I know that the team is gonna go as far as I take them, among other people. But I know as the face of the team, I can’t have a conference like I did the last conference where I was struggling and I let my emotions get the best of me,” Wright said.
“And it rubbed off on the whole team and I felt like I was part of the reason why we didn’t have a successful conference. So, I made some changes with my mentality, I’m trusting my teammates more.”
And Thursday’s win was definitely an auspicious one for Wright and Co. The 30-year-old was so proud to see his team remain composed even when things looked so bleak for them after being down by 13 with 7:41 left.
“I think the last bubble, in a situation like this, we might’ve crumbled as a team being down by 10 in the fourth quarter. That just shows how much different we are mentally, how much more mature we are.”
