PHOENIX GOES 2-1 OVER TNT

Matthew Wright played true to form on Sunday night and lifted Phoenix Super LPG past TNT Tropang Giga, 9289, to move a win shy of advancing to the Finals for the first time in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Angeles University Foundation gym in Pampanga.

Wright scored 25 points he highlighted with five three-pointers and a tough turnaround fade away jumper against Roger Pogoy late in the game that kept the Fuel Masters on top en route to a 2-1 lead in the best- of-five series.

“There’s really no secret, I just really have to man up and play through pain and play through the limited mobility,” said Wright, who played with a right ankle coming off a sprain. “Thanked God that we won Game Two without me even though I played as much as I could. We’re a deep team and everyone on our bench can contribute.”

Wright played only six minutes before injuring his ankle in Game One’s 92- 95 loss last Wednesday. But the Fuel Masters tied the series last Friday with a 110- 103 Game Two victory with Wright seeing action for only two minutes.

Phoenix could wrap up the series in Game Four set at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. After Bobby Ray Parks’s putback with 40 seconds left that narrowed the gap to 89- 90, the Fuel Masters went to Wright for that turnaround fadeway that gave them a three- point cushiom with 22 seconds left.

Jayson Castro forced a game- tying threepointer but was challenged and Justin Chua got the rebound as the buzzer expired.

After his gargantuan 20 points,

15 rebounds and four assists performance in Game Two, Calvin Abueva had another big night with 25 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and four steals, RJ Jazul and Jason Andre Perkins contributed 11 points apiece for Phoenix.

“It’s about giving that one more pass, we just want to bring joy. When the going gets tough, enjoy that moment,” Phoenix Coach Topex Robinson said.

Parks led TNT with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.