Pavel Zemskiy: "Thanks to the coaching staff and my teammates for the opportunities they created"

Blue-whites forward Pavel Zemskiy shared his thoughts on the results of the game against Samara (54:103) in an exclusive interview for Zenit TV. The match marked his first appearance this season for the main team. During his 11 minutes and 6 seconds on the court, Pavel scored 4 points and made 2 rebounds.

— Pavel, congratulations on the victory. Tell us, what was the most challenging part of today's game? You played 11 minutes and scored 4 points.

— Thank you very much. To be honest, there wasn’t anything particularly difficult. This wasn’t my first time, so I’ve more or less gotten used to it. The main thing was to stay calm, keep a cool head, and do everything the coach asked of me.

— When did you find out you were traveling to Samara and would step onto the court?

— I found out I was going to Samara the day before departure. Our team manager texted me to let me know. As for stepping onto the court, I had a feeling I would. I thought I should stay prepared, so I got myself ready to be fully charged when the moment came.

— It was noticeable that you didn’t seem nervous at all. Were you just hiding it well, or did you really play that calmly?

— Well, maybe there was a little nervousness, but I tried to eliminate it completely — just step onto the court without any distracting thoughts and do everything necessary for the team to win.

— It was clear your teammates were working hard and playing to support you. How did they congratulate you in the locker room after the game?

— Yes, my teammates definitely congratulated me, and I want to thank them greatly for the opportunities they created. Thanks to the coaching staff and my teammates who set up those chances for me, I was able to score my points.

— A very tough home game against Lokomotiv Kuban is coming up. What needs to be done to keep this winning streak going?

— First and foremost, we need focus, especially on defense, because defense is the key to victory. The main thing is to avoid injuries, prepare the body carefully, maintain mental readiness and approach the game with a winning mindset.

— Has Alexander Shcherbenev already said what will please the team: burgers, dumplings or maybe pike caviar, which he loves so much?

— He said he’d treat us to burgers this time. Pike caviar is postponed for later.