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MATTHEW WRIGHT has his sights set on the bigger picture, if not the bigger one: Phoenix Super LPG making its first Finals appearance at the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Wright and the Fuel Masters walked one win away from advancing to the Philippine Cup Finals after beating TNT Tropang Giga in Game 3, 92-89, Sunday night at the University Foundation gym. of Angeles.
Phoenix leads the best-of-five series, 2-1.
“The work is not done yet. We still have a bigger goal. We don’t just want to get to the Finals, we want to win the championship, ”said Wright, who scored 25 points, including a hard jump that kept his team in control in Game 3.
Wright is playing in pain after spraining his right ankle in Game One that they lost 95-92. His teammates struggled to win Game Two, 110-103, to tie the series before winning Game 3 that put the four-year-old franchise on the verge of advancing to the Finals for the first time.
“Just a little sore,” he said, referring to his ankle.
The 29-year-old Wright wanted the Fuel Masters to be just as successful in the league, as did the parent company of the team owned by businessman Dennis Uy in the fuel industry.
“We just have to get down to business and show the country, show the fans that Phoenix is a loser, that we want them to take us seriously,” Wright said. “Like Sir Dennis [Uy]He’s a loser in business and brought the Phoenix organization out of nowhere. “
“I think we are the second or third place [gas station] in the country now, so it will be the same for his basketball team, ”he said. “We want to show everyone that we are a serious team to deal with in the future, just like our boss.”
Wright also praised his teammates, especially Calvin Abueva and head coach Michael Christopher “Topex” Robinson for their hard work this season.
“We are excited, obviously we just want to finish them off. We feel like they have a lot of pressure on them from management, ”Wright said. “We feel like we don’t have any pressure at all. So we have fun, we try to be better at every game.
“We are starting to pay off, especially with Calvin and Alex [Mallari]. We only have our second wind, “he added.
Abueva continued in his elements coming out of suspension. He had 20 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in Game Two and accumulated 25 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and four steals in Game Three.
But Wright expects TNT to land its best shot in Game 3 scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
“I think Jayson Castro is sure to take over TNT. They are very desperate now, and they are going to throw their best shot, ”he said.
