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Postgame Interview - Matthew Wright | B1 ROUND 6 | 11.20.2022

B1 ROUND 6 Game 1: November 19, 2022

LEVANGA HOKKAIDO 75 - 80 KYOTO HANNARYZ

📊 BOXSCORE

B1 ROUND 6 Game 2: November 20, 2022

LEVANGA HOKKAIDO 84 - 99 KYOTO HANNARYZ

📊 BOXSCORE

MATTHEW WRIGHT | KYOTO HANNARYZ
Game 1: 20:49 MINS | 18 PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST
Game 2: 35:15 MINS | 24 PTS | 4 REB | 5 AST | 3 STL

  • You had 18 PTS yesterday and 24 PTS today, and this weekend has been the best for you in the B.LEAGUE so far. And KYOTO has 6 wins and 5 losses. Any thoughts on this?

(Matthew Wright: MW) I'm obviously very happy. Most important thing is we won both games, which is very difficult to do on the road in this league.  It was a long trip and these two wins are going to make that trip back home feel a lot better.

  • How did you spend the 3-week break? What did you try to adjust as a team?

(MW) Well, I think the reason we were successful this weekend was because we used those three weeks to really work on our system and to get in as good of a shape as we could. We had some tough practices, a lot of conditioning, so it was tough but it prepared us in the long run for this weekend. And the coaching staff did a great job of preparing us and keeping us ready, game ready during the three week break.

  • Did you enjoy any trips or activities during the break?

(MW) Yes, I went to Disneyland. Yeah, it was great. It was my first time in Disneyland, Tokyo, and my son and my wife really enjoyed it. I'm not a huge Disney fan, but I felt like a kid again. It was a good memory for my family to have, and we enjoyed it.

  • How do you fit into the playmaker role that Coach Rana assigned to you?

(MW) To be honest, it was difficult in the beginning of the season. I've been used to playing a certain role in the Philippines for a long time, and now the team is asking me to play a different role. It took me some time to adjust, but I feel finally comfortable in my role, and I've accepted it in my role, which is the most important thing in order for our team to have success.

  • How was the match-up with Dwight Ramos?

(MW) It was our first time matching up on the court together. I was excited to play against him as a former fellow national team player, and I've always been a fan of him since I watched him play. He's done great things for the country, and he's a great young talent.  And I said before I was a big fan, and unfortunately, he had an injury today. Hopefully, he can recover and help his team. You don't want to see players like that kind of injury. I've been there before. It's tough and it's painful, but like I said, he has a very bright future, and hopefully we'll be able to play together in the World Cup for the Philippines.

  • How is the B.LEAGUE different from the other experiences of your career?

(MW) The B.LEAGUE is more competitive. There's more imports. So the level of competition is higher, better in my opinion. The game is faster and is played with more intensity than in the Philippines. There are some similarities, but I would say that's the biggest difference. And I'm enjoying it. I'm enjoying the traveling aspect of having a home team and an away team. I feel like that is something I missed, especially since my college days. Coming into away team and I'm getting a win. It's always a great boost of confidence for the team, but yeah, it's definitely more intense and the level of competition is high.

DWIGHT RAMOS | LEVANGA HOKKAIDO
Game 1: 16:34 MINS | 10 PTS | 1 AST | 1 STL
Game 2: 18:55 MINS | 11 PTS | 6 REB | 4 AST

Ramos was not available for the post-game onterview due to the injury.

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