Alexey Shved: "In the second half, we pulled ourselves together and started playing smarter"

Blue-whites guard Alexey Shved shared his impressions of the home victory over UNICS (92:83) and noted how Zenit's game evolved throughout the match.

— It was a tough game. In the first half, we didn’t play the way the coach wanted. We often failed to execute our plays. But then, after the break, we pulled ourselves together and started following the instructions. We played tough defense, grabbed rebounds. There were a lot of open shots that we didn’t have in the first half. We played excellently as a team, and that’s why we got this result.

— Recently, you mentioned in an interview that you needed a few more games to reach your optimal form. Considering today’s 15 points, would you say you’re close to that?

— I wouldn’t say I’m close. I’m probably playing at about 70% of my potential. Now we have a break, I’ll train, and after the break, we’ll be back. There will be team practices, and by the first game, I’ll be physically ready and will show a different level of play.

— There were a lot of turnovers today. What do you attribute that to?

— UNICS is a team that plays tough defense, right on the edge of a foul. In the first half, we lost 5-7 balls, but then we pulled ourselves together and started playing smarter. They forced the ball into tight situations, and there were a lot of open shots or shots that led to drives afterward. We moved the ball well as a team, and I think we played an excellent second half.