Павел Земский: «Под конец матча у всех была потрясающая энергия»

Forward of the Blue-White-Sky Blues team Pavel Zemskiy shared his impressions of the first VTB United League game in an interview with Zenit TV.

— Pavel, how important was it to win the first game of the season?

— I believe that a win in the first game is essential. It’s, so to speak, a boost for the entire season, an emotional charge. We got what we needed, and now we’ll move through the season with full energy.

— Do you agree that the third quarter was the turning point, when Avtodor initially reduced the gap to "-1", and then Zenit went on a 9:0 run and finished the period at "+11"?

— Yes, the third quarter was the most important. We didn’t start the first half of the third very well, but after the timeout we became more focused on defense and created good opportunities in offense. Thanks to that, we were able to make a strong run.

— It’s a great fact that all the players who stepped onto the court today scored points. Was you ready to go in at the end of the game?

— You always have to be ready. So we were just waiting for our moment and made the most of it.

— Ilya Krivykh made his debut in the VTB United League today and also scored points. Will you congratulate your teammate?

— Of course, I congratulate Ilyusha. He did a great job, worked very hard, and deserved these minutes and his first points. My congratulations from the bottom of my heart.

— What did the coach say to you after the game?

— The coach said we started a little poorly, but we worked on all the details in defense and adjusted our offense, and thanks to that we managed to snatch the victory. Everyone had amazing energy by the end of the game, so congratulations to all, everyone did great.

— Very soon, we have a game against UNICS. What are your expectations?

— Only victory. We’ll prepare, focus, analyze the opponent’s team thoroughly, and go onto the court to win.