Alen Hadzibegovic: “In the best-of-five series every second counts”

Looking for the next round, is it better to have a week of training, or to play 7 games like Zenit did?

I wish we played 7 games against CSKA and qualified for the finals. Nothing can be compared with that. But as we lost, I think it is better to have some rest and focus on details. Especially compared to the other guys who finished a couple of days ago. They must be tired, both physically and emotionally.

What can you say about your possible opponents? Let's begin with Luka Šamanić.

He's a great player, we played many times against each other. He's strong and smart. Against him, everything is gonna be decided in defense. Whoever will leave more on the court, will get advantage.

André Roberson is not the tallest guy in Zenit, but he plays center. Is he good at that at your opinion?

Yeah. In the VTB United League there are not so many heavy centers, and a lot of quick ones that can play both 4th and 5th positions. Roberson is that type of player too. He knows how to play around the basket. He's good at it.

And a couple of words about Andrei Martyuk.

He's athletic and smart. He follows the ball really well after pick and roll. He got lobs and then scores.

What will be the main thing for Loko in this series?

Staying together, playing defense – that's the main part. And playing as hard as we can. In the best-of-five series every second counts. We gotta stay strong and smart from the very start till the last minute.

Is the bronze medal enough motivation?

Of course, it's. When you play, you always want to achieve something. Right now, the 3rd place is the best thing we can get this season. So, we are motivated to bring bronze medals to our club.