The head coach of Lokomotiv Kuban commented on the victory over Zenit (95:85).
- What helped to get this win?
- First of all, I want to emphasize that today's victory is a credit to every player on the court, regardless of how much time they played or how many points they scored. Everyone worked hard on defense and gave their energy exactly as the team needed, playing every moment to the end. In my opinion, Lokomotiv must be strong, first and foremost, as a team. It's hard to expect us to lead by 20 points at halftime in every game, so we need to give our all, every second on the court. Especially on defense. When you give it your all on defense, playing the hard part of the game, you gain freedom on offense. Defense wins big games. I'm very happy that we managed to get the win today – it should give us confidence and let us know we're on the right track.
- How exhausting is such style of playing?
- It is exhausting, of course. But it's better to be a tired winner than a fresh loser.
- You talk a lot about how the team should provide energy, but you yourself are also very energetic on the bench...
- How could it be otherwise?! If I demand energy from others, I can't set the opposite example myself. Yes, I may seem expressive, but that's how I help the players reach their peak. That's my job. Well, maybe it's part of my character, too.
- What emotions did you feel before the start of this game? After all, you were about to make your debut in front of the home crowd.
- Of course, this is a very important day for me. I wanted to start the game at home with a win against a strong opponent, so that we could connect with the fans and believe that we can achieve results together. And I'm very happy we won.
Share with Friends: