«Lokomotiv-Kuban» president shared his impressions of the club's fantastic victory in Game 5 of the semifinals (85-68, 3-2).
- What are your emotions now?
- – We are tired of emotions, to be honest. It's a very hard series, we are playing against CSKA, an opponent that is used to win and be in the finals for sure. We don't really have emotions anymore. We are getting ready for the decisive games. In Krasnodar, I hope, with the support of our stands, we have a chance to finish this series.
- What did you think when you led by 20?
- – I thought it would be more difficult and we needed to hold on. You saw how we started the third quarter, the first five minutes. CSKA came back into the game and decided a lot in that stretch of the game. The team got going just in time. The coaches made the necessary substitutions and we regained the difference we badly needed. Honestly, I thought we had enough strength to defend in every attack, and we did it! Guys are just great, well done! Worked the way we needed to. That's why we won the match.
- At what point did you realize that the victory would not go away?
- – Only two minutes before the end of the match did I realize we were very close to victory.
- Did you hear the Krasnodar fans?
- – Of course! They supported us the whole game, they are the best, and everyone knows it. We expect the same support in Krasnodar, everything is in our hands.
- What will be most important for the team in the sixth match?
- – To restore physical strength. Because now it is a marathon, frankly speaking. The fifth match in ten days... Given the logistics and flights - it's very difficult. So, again, the most important thing is to recover. I am sure that our medical and coaching staff knows what to do.
- Would you say that Loko are more accustomed to such a schedule than CSKA?
- – Why would you say that? Of course you can't say that. We travel all season and get tired several times more than the other teams! We spend 10-12 hours or even more on the road. It is hard to get used to it, let alone adapt. So, of course, we are tired, but we are hanging in there. Our team has character – that's the most important thing!
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