Sergey Karasev: "The atmosphere at the end of the game was Incredible"

The captain of the Blue-White-Sky Blues Sergey Karasev spoke exclusively to Zenit TV about the victorious match against BETSITI PARMA (82:79). In today’s game, the forward returned to the court for the first time after a long break.

— Sergey, congratulations on the win. This was your first game in 35 days. What were your feelings as you stepped onto the court today?

— I really missed basketball. The injury was unpleasant. I had planned to return in the match against Nizhny, but the coaches advised me to fully recover. So today I was really eager to play. I understand that I still need to get back into the game rhythm and regain my fitness. After all, this is the first game after more than a month off. But the most important thing is that we won. That’s what matters today.

— 22 minutes — isn’t that a bit short for your first game after such a long time? Or did you feel you could have played more?

— By the end, my leg was starting to ache a bit, but I knew that there were a lot of tough situations with the guys today. They’ve been carrying things for me for a month, so I had to help as much as I could. The plan was probably to limit my playing time a bit, but it turned out the way it did. I just tried to give my maximum.

— In your opinion, what was the key moment at the end of the game?

— Honestly, there were many key moments. At one point, they were ahead by 5 points with two and a half minutes left. We intercepted, hit a three-pointer, and came back. Then, when they failed to inbound the ball, we executed the five-second play perfectly. It’s hard to pick just one key moment. Also, Andryukha missed the second free throw, grabbed his own rebound, and then made two free throws. The game is made up of these small details, and luck also smiled on us today to some extent.

— Do you think it was Martiuk’s tactical decision to miss the free throw and then score two more?

— They also miss free throws in training, so I doubt it was tactical (laughs). But the main thing is that he grabbed the rebound and then scored the two points.

— PARMA has proven today that they rightfully belong in the top 3 of the championship. Do you agree?

— They’re a good, solid team. But I think we’re not in our rightful place. With injuries and that heartbreaking loss to CSKA in the final seconds… we should be at least higher. But it’s a very nice team. Great foreign players, aggressive play, good ball movement, so I think they will definitely make noise this season.

— Could you say a few words to the fans who were eagerly waiting for your return, worrying about you, and who generally support you?

— Thank you so much. I always say this and always will. It’s very pleasant when they come and support us. The atmosphere at the end was incredible: the cheers, the support, it gives extra energy. I think it was a tough game for us, but interesting for the fans. I hope they enjoyed it. And congratulations to all the guys, all the fans, on this victory.