The head coach of Lokomotiv Kuban PBC answered journalists’ questions after the victory over Zenit (89:80).
- What can you say about the result?
- I thank the team for the fight they showed throughout the entire game. I'm proud of everyone who took to the court today without exception, they all showed up like real men.
- What was the key moment of the game in your opinion?
- It's hard to say, because I'm glad how my team played throughout the game. Zenit scored a lot of 3-pointers in the 3rd quarter, but it didn't break us. Before the 4th quarter, I told my team that we needed to keep playing the way we were doing and that our opponents wouldn't be scoring so much all the time. We just had to get through this. Everyone kept fighting and ultimately won.
- Is it an indication of good team play that Makar Konovalov has the best plus-minus today (+15), but he scored 0 points?
- I don't judge players by the points they score. Maybe by the points they allow, but definitely not by the scoring. Everyone has a role on the team, and Makar proved today that even with zero points, you can be very, very useful to the team.
- At what point did you realize that victory was here to stay?
- I think when we took a 10-point lead with 3 minutes left, I felt a bit of confidence that we'd win. But basketball is a game where everything can turn upside down very quickly, so I knew everyone on us had to stay focused until the last second.
- There were over 6,000 spectators in the stands today. Could you hear them shout?
- I'm glad there were so many fans at the stands. It's very important and very nice when not only do so many people show up, but they support the team so passionately. And what about how well are they heard, you better ask the team – I'm sure that energy helps them.
- Are you already thinking of the next game?
- Every game is important for us now. We have several more games to play in two days between each of them, so we need to approach them not only tactically prepared but also well-rested.
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