The Lokomotiv Kuban center’s 14 points and 3 steals were a big help in securing a victory over Zenit in the battle for third place (91:85; the best-of-five series is now tied at 2–2).
- You look like Terminator with all these sacks of ice around your knees and shoulders...
- Haha, I'll take it as a compliment. You know, \it’s the end of the season, and this is how I play. I try to play hard, I hit the ground a lot, I take a lot of contact, I give a lot of contact – this is just my type of basketball. And this is just a picture of me at the end of the year.
- What can you say about the game?
- It was a good game on our side, we followed the game plan, and at the end of the day it was how hard and focused we were. You know, that’ just a part of the game– we throw a first punch, they throw their punch, and we’re just getting back and forth. Whoever makes the most stops is more lucky towards the end. Zenit is a good and experienced team. Of course we know they gonna run, and we just need to control their run.
- What did the coach say in the break after the 2nd quarter?
- Just keep playing hard and play smarter. We had a couple of bad fouls in the 1st half giving them unnecessary free throws, so we had to keep the same intensity and be a bit smarter. And we did that in the 2nd half. I think we played probably our best defence of the year, and I’m proud of the team of that. Hopefully we can keep that intensity to Saint-Pete.
- What happened in the last minutes when Zenit turned “–20” to “–5”?
- It’s hard to come off the bench not playing the whole game. But I’m still proud of them guys. They’re part of our team because we made it into Game 5. A lot of people thought we will be out. It’s hard to play during the 3rd place games, so I appreciate it from the first guy to the last guy.
- How will you motivate yourself before Game 5?
- Well, it’s the last game of the season. I think the motivation is out of window now. If you’re not ready to play, then you must not go out to Saint-Pete. That’s our championship, and we want it. Of course, we didn’t reach our first goal that was gold medals, but this series is the most important for us now. We don’t need some extra motivation. We want to win for Loko fans, for us. And if we play with that type of heart and intensity, then no matter what will happen at the end – I think we’ll still be a winners.
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