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Matthew Wright’s heroic 3-point shot that catapulted Phoenix into the semifinals was a testament to why coach Topex Robinson and the Fuel Masters have been on a roll this conference: confidence.
The Phoenix star came off the bench for the first time this season and delivered when it mattered most. Wright drilled the game-winning triple with 9.8 seconds left to propel his team to an 89-88 victory over the Magnolia Hotshots on Saturday night. He finished with 32 points on 9 of 18 shooting, including five triples, along with five rebounds and nine assists.
“As a young coach, I asked Matt’s permission if it was okay for him not to start,” shared Robinson. “One thing Matt asked me was, ‘Do you believe in that?’ I said, ‘Yeah, the coaching staff believes in that.’ And he said, ‘Whatever you want to do, coach, as long as we all believe in that, I totally agree.
Wright made the playoffs as the league’s second-leading scorer with 22.82 points per game, playing nearly 41 minutes per night. With averages of 5.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists, and not to mention his 3.27 mark from beyond the arc, he’s making a solid run in the Conference Best Player career.
“That’s confidence. Your best player sacrificing his starting job for the good of the whole team is just magical for us,” Robinson said. “I don’t know how he did that shot. After he took that shot, he said to me ‘Do you trust my coach?’ I said, ‘With all my heart.’ And that’s something special. So magical. “
Phoenix took a chance against a brave Magnolia team, who won their last six regular-season games. Robinson revealed that changing the starting lineup against the Hotshots was the idea of assistant coach Jamike Jarin.
“We know that Coach Chito (Victolero) and the rest of the staff are really focused on defending Matt, so Coach Jamike, always an out-of-the-box thinker, told me not to open Matt and I said, ‘Come on go do it, ‘”Robinson said. “And that’s the beauty of this team. He could be the head coach by title, but it’s about all of us.”
Magnolia came out prepared on defense, essentially shutting out two Phoenix players. Calvin Abueva only scored six points on 2-of-9 shooting. And while he had eight rebounds and two steals, he also committed six turnovers. Big man Justin Chua, meanwhile, struggled with five points and was hampered by foul problems. The only other Fuel Master to score in double figures was Jason Perkins with 16 points.
As for Wright’s defense, he was chased by pesky defenders Chris Banchero and Mark Barroca. Other guards like Justin Melton, Paul Lee, and Jio Jalalon also did their best when Wright went through multiple screens to open up.
“I think it’s the best seventh seed I’ve ever seen,” Wright said. “That’s a good team right there. We had a hard time winning that game. There were times when it looked really grim. There were times when they were the most aggressive team. They wanted it. We just found a way.”
Wright mentioned that he will dedicate the victory to those affected by Typhoon Ulysses, which devastated parts of Luzon just before the playoffs began.
“We hope whoever is watching, if this game gave you a little happiness, a little smile, then our work is worth it,” he said.
More than a basketball strategy to interrupt opponents, Wright coming off the bench was ultimately about the trust the Phoenix team has in each other.
“Matt agreed with that idea, which is important to us,” Robinson said. “Again, our best player sacrificing that starting position on something that we didn’t know was going to work. There was no guarantee, but it was bought. You will never go wrong if you believe in something and everyone believes in that something.”
Wright and the rest of the Fuel Masters now turn their attention to their match against third-seeded TNT Tropang Giga, who easily defeated Alaska in the quarterfinals. TNT’s defense was on full display, limiting the Aces’ potent offense to 83 points in a 21-point loss. Wright will likely be the primary target of TNT’s defensive strategy in the best-of-five series.
“We are not going to dodge any team. We are not afraid to face anyone,” Wright said unfazed. “We want to beat the best. If you want to be the best, you must beat the best.”
