Georgy Zhbanov: "The fans were part of this victory"

Blue-whites’s guard Georgy Zhbanov shared his emotions with Zenit TV following the 85:80 victory over Lokomotiv Kuban in Game 2 of the VTB United League semifinal series. In the match, he recorded 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

— 25 wins in a row — that’s a new all-time record in the VTB United League. How do you feel after the game?

— I feel pain and exhaustion. I’m really tired after that kind of game. It was an incredible match — intense, thrilling, physical. The referees let us play tough, which we love. Lokomotiv wanted a fight — we accepted the challenge and came out on top.

— What difficulties did you face at the start of the game? It was clear things weren’t going smoothly.

— Lokomotiv came out very physical from the get-go. What was the deficit? Minus 13? Maybe minus 15? I don’t even remember. It was definitely tough to claw our way back. It’s not easy to do that against a team like Lokomotiv, but we pulled through. It was one for all and all for one today. So, congrats to Zenit, to the whole team, to all the guys — everyone gave it their all. A well-deserved result.

— What made the 17:0 run in the first half possible?

— At the start, we weren’t ready for that level of physicality, so we fell behind. Then we decided — we’re going to fight, fight until the end, fight for the win. And it paid off.

— How did you decide to take those clutch three-pointers at the end of the game?

— I’m always waiting for those clutch threes and I’m happy to take them. Especially when my teammates trust me — I can’t let them down.

— Honestly, did your heart skip a beat before the last three-pointer?

— No, I was waiting for that moment. I love those moments and want more of them in my career — so I can show them to my kids and grandkids one day.

— Would you agree this was the most emotional game of the season?

— Definitely. My throat hurts from how much we were yelling. Everyone was in it for each other. The crowd was huge — nearly a full arena. Thank you to all the fans who came today. We’ll try to play less nerve-racking games moving forward.

— One of the main additions to the semifinal series was the organ. How does it sound on the court?

— Honestly, in the first game it kind of got on our nerves — ours too. But in this one, the rhythm was different. And overall, the fans were louder, and you could hear them more. There were fewer fans in the first game, so the organ stood out more.

— Speaking of the fans — over 5000 people supported Zenit in the arena today. What would you like to say to them?

— Dear fans, thank you so much for coming today. You were undoubtedly a part of this victory. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the next playoff games.

— Let’s hope this isn’t the final, right? What’s the goal for Krasnodar?

— We have one goal: to lift the Belov Cup over our heads.