Interview

Vladislav Yemchenko: “We shouldn’t let CSKA catch the courage at the end”

Loko guard analyzed the reasons for the defeat from CSKA (82:96, OT).
– What happened to Loko at the end of the game?
– At the end of the 4th quarter, when we were leading by 10 points, everything escalated quickly: bang, bang – they made two three-pointers, and CSKA caught the courage that allowed them to win in overtime. In extra time we looked like we had given up. Our defense allowed the opponent a lot, and when the margin reached 9 points, everything about the outcome of the match became clear. I believe that no matter what happens on the court, we should not give up and stop fighting. But in overtime it looked exactly like this. I hope that we will work through this issue and this will not happen again.
– What lessons can be learned from today's game?
– That against such an opponent as CSKA you cannot relax for a second. We’ve lost our grip in the end, immediately got paid for it, and were no longer able to get back into the game. This means, you have to keep your focus throughout the game until the final siren sounds. Also, we could have done a better job in the first half too. It looked like we didn’t come out prepared enough, even though we knew that CSKA, after four defeats in a row, would come out to play tough. However, we still missed this shot. Then we were able to return to the game out of character, spending a lot of effort. Maybe it was precisely this energy that we lacked in the end.
– The next match is against PARMA at March 20. Does the fact that Loko has not yet won against Perm this season add to your motivation?
– Hmm, I didn’t even know that we hadn’t won against them yet... In fact, we are always motivated anyway. I think today's defeat should give us even more motivation. And those who will miss this, of course, can be reminded of the results of our matches with PARMA during the season. The fact that we are playing at home, in front of our own stands, should be enough for us. Today there was a great atmosphere, we wanted to make a present to the fans, especially the girls. But this is sport. We need to learn lessons and move on. I think we'll be fine.
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