Xavi Pascual: "Contacts — a part of the game"

Zenit head coach Xavi Pascual summed up the results of the winning match against Lokomotiv Kuban (89:92). The coach of the blue-whites analyzed in detail the final attack and told what difficulties the team had to face during the game.

— Сlearly the first quarter was for Loko, we were not ready to start. From here I think the next 23-24 minutes was clear for us, that we play better defensively, with less mistakes and better offensively. But with 12 points advantage, we make one foul in offensive rebound, we give two free throws after that, two mistakes completely open under the basket. And from here Loko, that always at home has this character to come back, start to come back to the game. And after that, step by step, the game became equal. We had the opportunity to win the game before with one floater of Alexey. But also we had the rebound and we didn't take with one open shot before Frazier but we couldn't and in the last action also we have a clear advantage to shoot the floater also to dunk the ball but finally we found this open shot and we won the game.

— Was it Zhbanov's decision in the last throw, or was it a planned option for the final attack?

— No, I couldn’t take time out because the second free throw Uzinskiy missed. So it was from rebound, it was 11 seconds, so we tried to run. Alexey has the advantage to take the decision. We created one superiority, four against three in that moment. And finally, it was the decision on the court of Alexey, because he was not sure on the floater, was not sure on the passing side. He passed out and we scored this three. It was not exactly the plan. It's one game that Karasev became injured in the air ball. Also, Okaro became injured, so we finished how we finished, but finally we won this game.

— There were a lot of free throws in the first half. Was such a jerky pace beneficial for one of the teams?

— No, both teams were tried to play serious, defensively and offensively, and not to give easy baskets. And this is why we had contacts. This is a part of the game. Both teams, we want to play offense and defense in the right direction. Today it was a lot of free throws and a lot of situations that we used the hands, both teams. So we wanted to win. Both teams, it's a big game and this is normal. Sometimes it happens.

— Dwayne Bacon became the most productive player, but did not score a single point before the big break. Was it planned that he would turn on in the second half?

— No, obviously no. We want him to score all the time, but he's human like all the players. He didn't feel the game in the right direction in the beginning. I think he was overthinking defense, offense, and he was not flowing in the game. But in the second half, he started feel the game from one open shot that he scored three points from corner after the penetration of Zhora. He started to feel the game and this is a great player that when he feels the game he can help a lot for the team.

— You've had quite a few changes in your team lately. How do you rate teamwork at the moment?

— We are okay. We have very good chemistry now with Okaro, also with Alexey. We are going in the right direction, all the team believe in their possibilities. I think now we have 11 wins consecutive and we want to continue. It's going to be difficult, but we want to continue in this direction.