AFTER the conclusion of his 2021 PBA season, Matthew Wright will be shifting his focus to the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games with the mindset of sustaining the high-level of play of the Philippines in the regional meet.
Matthew Wright on SEA Games
Wright is one of the Gilas Pilipinas members who have been called up for the SEA Games. The team is mostly composed of PBA players due to the unavailability of college players during the biennial meet which will happen in May.
Wright has one thing in mind when it comes to his SEA Games stint.
“We have to sustain our dominance,” said Wright. “We are Team USA of the SEA Games. And every team is getting better.”
The Phoenix Super LPG star is making a comeback in the SEA Games, having been part of an all-PBA team that won the gold in dominating fashion at the Mall of Asia Arena in 2019.
Having seen the other teams three years ago, Wright said he and Gilas must reassert their dominance in the region, with the other teams already improving.
For Wright, a blowout victory should be the norm when it comes to Gilas Pilipinas in this year’s SEA Games to be held in Hanoi.
“Thailand is getting better. Vietnam is getting better. Indonesia is getting better. We can’t let these teams have confidence. Even if they only lose by 15 points, to them that’s a moral victory,” Wright said.
Wright said he looks forward to reuniting with a couple of players that were part of the 2019 SEA Games team in Japeth Aguilar, June Mar Fajardo, and Troy Rosario.
“We’ve got to destroy these teams so that they know that there is really no chance everytime they play the Philippines. It’s hard to do because every team is getting better. That’s the challenge that we have to accept,” said Wright.
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