Sergey Karasev: "In the first quarter, we didn’t move the ball"
The captain of the blue-whites team Sergey Karasev summed up the match against Avtodor (91:68) and shared the secrets of his successful performance in today's game. The forward recorded 13 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist.
— We started the first quarter terribly. We have three very tough away games ahead of us. If we open matches like this, it will be very difficult to get back into the game. That’s why we need to come out with a different mindset, a different level of commitment, and a different desire. But in the last three quarters, the team completely changed. Players came in, fought hard, executed the coach’s game plan, and the picture was completely different. We need to change something at the beginning of the game. But at the same time, I want to thank all the guys for not giving up and for securing this important home victory.
— A couple of months ago, when Zenit defeated CSKA, you played against Enisey at home a few days later. You also had a poor start in that game, and after the match, Alex Poythress said it felt like a hangover. Can you compare that situation to today's game, considering the emotional victory over Lokomotiv?
— In general, it's really tough to play. If I'm not mistaken, this is our twelfth consecutive victory. Everyone expects a win from us — fans, journalists, everyone. There is some emotional pressure, of course, but the trip to Krasnodar wasn’t the easiest. However, we had a week to prepare for today’s game. So, blaming it on that makes no sense.
— Sergey, overall, you played a great game today. What contributed to that?
— The main factor is that I am a team-dependent player, and I rely on my teammates. In the first quarter, we didn’t move the ball, but later we started sharing it. It’s much more enjoyable to play when you’re involved in the game and always ready for a pass from your teammate. The game was completely different after that. That’s probably why I got my opportunities and was able to capitalize on them. Plus, when you start working hard on defense, and the whole team is locked in defensively, it becomes much easier to play on offense. When the opponent keeps scoring on you, it brings you down emotionally, and that significantly affects the offense as well.
