Phoenix Fuel Masters. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Phoenix Pulse’s Matthew Wright squandered a chance to send the game against Ginebra into overtime, but the FuelMasters marksman said the missed shot—along with the lapses he made throughout Sunday’s 100-97 loss on Sunday night—aren’t going to weigh him down.
For starters, it wasn’t that heartbreaking of a defeat.
“We felt like we shot ourselves in the foot, There were a couple of calls that didn’t go our way that were unfortunate but it’s basketball,” Wright told reporters.
“It wasn’t that tough of a loss. We’re not gonna let that emotionally affect us. They’re a good team and we have had a good season so far,” he added.
After a whirlwind of buckets and lead changes, Phoenix—the No. 1 team in the all-Filipino conference—suddenly saw themselves playing catchup late in the game.
The FuelMasters’ inability to clamp down on Ginebra in the dying seconds cost them a chance at securing the first twice-to-beat privilege.
But that, too, does not faze Wright.
If anything, he feels this affords him the learnings his team sorely needs for the steeper trek ahead which is the playoff round.
“You know, more than anything, I’m trying to find the silver lining, this really prepared us for the playoffs—what the playoff atmosphere is like with the crowd, with the intensity,” Wright said.
“I’m proud of the guys that we fought. We were up almost the whole game but a couple of breakdowns—my part defensively—were very costly.
Phoenix, a relatively young team in the PBA, absorbed only its second loss in the Philippine Cup. They now set their sights on their final assignment in the elimination round which is a date with defending champion San Miguel Beer.
“I feel like more important than our record right now is us getting better and becoming more cohesive as a team the next couple of weeks before playoffs,” Wright said.
The FuelMasters tangle with the Beermen on Saturday at Panabo Multi-Purpose Tourism, Sports & Cultural Center in Davao del Norte.