Andrey Vorontsevich: "Playing in Perm is always challenging"

Blue-White-Sky Blues forward Andrey Vorontsevich shared his emotions from the away game against BETCITY PARMA (77:85).

— The victory was hard-earned, with character. How do you assess the result?

— First of all, I congratulate all our fans on the victory. Thank you to everyone who supported us. Naturally, during the holidays, I want to say to everyone: "Happy New Year, Merry Christmas in advance!" Thank you, friends, for supporting us. We don't have a New Year. We are all at work. We want to wish everyone only victories and, most importantly, health.

— The start of the match was not easy — it took a long time to score from the field, and there were several mistakes in the attack. What helped the team stay in the game?

— Playing in Perm is always challenging; they have some of the best fans in our country. The team is great, with a good coaching staff and a balanced roster of players, and, first of all, everything depended on us, of course. We were missing two players today, so naturally, we had to play for ourselves and for the other guy. But today the team showed character, and in a difficult situation, we played cohesively and focused on defense.

Playing in such a rather hot yet cool arena is not easy. This is a hockey rink; there’s ice under the court, and, let's say, it's not always comfortable to step out. We had to warm up, and apparently, we needed a little time to get warmed up. I also think the long break between games affected us, but nevertheless, both teams wanted to show a tough, aggressive style of basketball, and therefore they didn’t let each other score from the very beginning, but then we somehow found our rhythm, and the shots started to fall.

— It seems that the turning point happened in the third quarter when we finished the ten minutes with a "+10". What do you think?

— You could say there are different turning points, but I think we controlled the initiative throughout the game. But I repeat, the Perm team is not the kind of opponent that easily gives up a game on their home court. They have beaten all the top clubs here. We played for each other. And most importantly, everyone played to win.

— Andre Roberson made his return to the court today for the first time since October 12. Are you happy for your teammate?

— Yes, of course, I'm happy for Andre. Everyone needs to be in shape, and each person's help is needed. The more of us there are, the more options we have for rotation. We can come up with various schemes for different players. So I wish not only Andre but all the players good health. Both in our team and in the opponent's team. Even though we compete, first and foremost, I want to wish everyone health, so there are no injuries.

— Today we were without two big men — Luka Samanic and Noah Vonleh. How were the tasks redistributed in the front line?

— Yes, we were missing two players, two centers, and naturally, I had to play the five position, while Andre Roberson defended against the opponent's fives when we were on the verge of foul trouble. If we need a five, we play a five; if we need a four, we play a four. We are ready to play any position. Both Roberson and I, and thanks to our young teammate Ilya Krivykh, who came to play for us. We wish him health and good luck. Thank you for supporting us. This is very important for us. And of course, we are waiting for those guys to return to us as soon as possible so we can all be in our usual positions.

— The next game in Petersburg will take place on January 14. Take this opportunity to invite the fans to this match.

— Yes, the next home game in Saint Petersburg will take place on January 14. Taking this opportunity, I invite all Zenit fans to come and cheer for their home club. It’s always warm with us, it’s always loud, it’s always energetic, it’s always beautiful, and there are always many amazing moments, so come to recharge your energy and share positive emotions with friends and loved ones. We always look forward to seeing you at our home games.