"The fans kept us energized the whole game": Popovic and Zemskiy on the home win
Zenit-2 head coach Oliver Popovic shared his thoughts after Game 4 of the Fonbet Super League semifinals. The home victory over Temp-SUMZ (84:79) allowed the blue-whites to tie the series and force a decisive fifth game.
— A very tough game. Close, just like the previous one. They had more chances than they did two days ago, but I think we handled it. We were really focused in the fourth quarter. Yes, the score was swinging back and forth, but we stuck to our game plan. So I congratulate the guys — they were great today, really gave it their all. You know, Aksenov is playing with an injury, Samukhin too, so I really hope we’ll have a full lineup on April 27.
— The stands were full today. Did that give the team extra energy?
— Of course. Thanks to our fans. We always say our guys need that. They just feel more confident, obviously, when the stands are packed. I hope we can win a fifth game in Revda.
— Was it hard to come back after being down 0:2 in the series? What's the mindset going into Game 5?
— Yeah, of course it was tough. We had no chance in Game 1 — we played poorly. The second game was basically ours. We were up by 7, then made a couple of mistakes, and they went up 2:0. But our mindset for these last two games has been solid. Now it’s Game 5. One game — one day. I don’t know what’ll happen. We’ll see. But we’re going to give 100%.
Zenit-2 forward Pavel Zemskiy also shared his emotions after the win. He had a standout performance with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals.
— The first half didn’t go too well for us, unfortunately. We gave up a lot of points on fast breaks and offensive boards. We had to regroup during halftime to come out more focused. In the second half, we brought more energy — and the fans really helped with that. We’re very thankful. They kept us charged up the whole match. We managed to stay locked in on defense and rebounding, and thanks to fast breaks and tough play, we pulled out the win.
— After being down 0:2 in the series, was it hard to bounce back and find your rhythm against the regular-season leaders?
— Not really — we just needed to calm down. We understood there was no pressure on us. We had to relax and play our game. Be aggressive, push the pace, and go toe-to-toe with any team in this league.
— In the third quarter, you had a phenomenal run and scored 15 points. How much did that impact the team? Did it give you momentum?
— It seemed like it really energized the team. I tried to do everything I could to give the team a strong boost. That got everyone going — we all started pushing on the fast break, and that helped us grab the win.
— What’s the mindset for Game 5?
— Maximum aggression — to win and make it to the Super League final. We’re ready to win. We want it, and we believe in it.
