The head coach of Lokomotiv Kuban PBC answered questions from journalists following the victory over Zenit (91:85; the best-of-five series is tied at 2–2).
- Your comment on the game.
- Thanks to the guys for their approach—that’s the very element I’ve been talking about so much throughout the playoffs. I’m glad the team accepted this idea. We fully deserved today’s win by playing hard on every single possession and sticking together as a team, even when the opponent went on runs. Now our task is to approach the final game of the season with that same mindset.
- Were you worried about the outcome in the closing minutes, when Zenit rapidly scored 15 points?
- No. You saw for yourselves—I didn’t even call a timeout during those minutes. Of course, I wasn’t happy with that stretch of the game, but I don’t intend to dwell on it. I kept believing in our team and knew we would hold on for the win. In the playoffs, the exact margin of victory—whether it’s +20 or +6—doesn’t matter.
- What will be the most important factor in the fifth, decisive game of the series?
- You know, I see my primary goal as to energize the team and set the right mindset. My core beliefs are that you must never give up and that you have to respect every opponent—though not to excess, because you need to respect yourself, too. Zenit is undoubtedly a strong opponent. Any single game can go either way. But we have to do everything within our power and give it our all so that we can be proud of ourselves when the final buzzer sounds.
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