Alexander Shcherbenev: "We let Astana's leaders get into the game"

Zenit guard Alexander Shcherbenev shared his impressions after the away win over Astana (67:101). The player talked about what helped the team regroup after halftime and also summed up the regular season of the VTB United League.

— Overall, the game went quite well. In the first half, we weren’t playing the kind of basketball we wanted or expected from ourselves. We let Astana's leaders get into the game and play us on equal terms. But during halftime, we regrouped and played very aggressively on defense, as a team. Thanks to that, we managed to win, and we’re really happy about it. Now, after a short break, we’ll start preparing for the playoffs.

— What was said to you in the locker room during halftime? What motivated you to come back in the second half and defeat Astana with such a lopsided score?

— Coach pointed out our mistakes and told us we can’t play like that against an opponent like this. They opened our eyes and motivated us. After that, we came out with renewed energy and tried to play the same kind of basketball we’ve been playing all season.

— This was Zenit’s twentieth win in a row. The regular season is now over, and the playoffs are ahead. What are your takeaways from the regular season?

— It went pretty well, especially considering the schedule got longer. We really had a solid regular season — we didn’t lose to any of the top-4 teams. We stayed focused for every game and achieved the results we were aiming for. But the most important part is still ahead. No one remembers what place you finished in during the regular season. Everyone only remembers where you finished at the end of the playoffs.