Georgy Zhbanov: "Against Nizhny I always want to show myself much better than I could"
Blue-whites guard Georgy Zbanov discussed key moments of the match against Pari Nizhny Novgorod (94:79) and shared his expectations for upcoming away games in an interview for Zenit TV. During the recent game Zhbanov set a career record with 6 steals.
— Georgy, congratulations on the win. How psychologically important was it for you today?
— Without a doubt, it was very important because we suffered a disgraceful loss in our previous game. I'll be honest about it. We needed to redeem ourselves in front of our fans, our coach, whose game plan we failed to execute last time. Personally, when playing against Nizhny, I always want to show myself much better than I usually could. So, with a fiery heart and a calm head, we stepped onto the court.
— In the first half, Zenit was playing catch-up. What happened?
— Nizhny is a very good team with great chemistry. They moved the ball well, and we couldn’t keep up with their movement. They scored a lot of open shots. During halftime, the coach pointed out our mistakes, and we started playing more aggressively on defense, helping each other, which led to the result.
— Zenit had 15 steals today, 6 of which were yours — a career record. Did you read your opponents well today?
— Yes, we read them like an open book. That’s how we’ll keep playing.
— What instructions did the coach give during halftime?
— To play as a team, help each other, and stay united. I think we succeeded in that, and the win was well deserved.
— Do you know what happened to Moon? From the sidelines, it looked serious.
— Yes, it didn’t look pleasant, but I think if it had been something serious, he wouldn’t have come back to the bench looking the way he did. He seems fine, walking on his own — that’s the main thing. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious. But I don’t think it’s anything major.
— Next, you’re heading to the Volga region to play against Samara and Avtodor. What’s the mood as you head on the road?
— The mood is great. We’re going for a ride along the Volga. We’ll definitely stop by a sauna there — good bathhouses are common along the Volga. I hope we get back to our winning ways, keep winning and continue making our fans happy.
— If we talking about Saratov, you’ll be facing Artem Klimenko. Are you planning to block him this time?
— Definitely, absolutely. I haven’t forgotten how he didn’t let me have jersey number 12. For that, I’ll keep rejecting his shots over and over. He’d better stay out of the paint! (laughs)
