Maxim Uchaykin: "We were set to play tough and aggressively"

Zenit acting head coach Maxim Uchaykin commented on the away victory over MBA-MAI (83:99) and answered questions from journalists at the post-game press conference.

— We were set to play tough and aggressively; that was the most important thing. To play as a team, as one unit. We talked about how MBA is a resilient opponent — they always have quality Russian players on the roster, a good mix of youth and experience, coaches who know what they want, especially on their home court. We also knew they would be ready to strike, and we discussed that we needed to handle that pressure. If we could withstand it, we’d get the result. Basically, that’s how it went. In the first half, they played very well, scored a lot of good, beautiful shots, many difficult shots. But in the second half, we didn’t give up, and that’s why we got the result.

— How did you manage to pull away from MBA in the final moments and achieve such a significant lead?

— In the first half, they scored many points from the paint. We made adjustments for that. How to stop players driving under the basket? A small defensive adjustment on the pick-and-roll, and it worked. We also focused on paying more attention to players who had found their rhythm from beyond the arc. That, in general, became the key factor.

— Today, did we see more of Sekulic’s legacy at Zenit, or have you already managed to implement your own vision?

— Certainly, you can’t change everything in one day. We basically didn’t try to. This is what was in place under Aleksander Sekulic.

— How do you plan to surprise CSKA in the upcoming game?

— That’s a tough question, because in the last two days I’ve had very few hours of sleep. So we are only now starting to think about that. Undoubtedly, CSKA is a strong opponent. Preparation will not be easy, but we’ll try to do everything possible to put up a fight.

— Did you have any discussions with management about having a free hand in making roster changes?

— No, I didn’t have any conversation. All the changes were a big surprise to me, so I had a discussion with Sani Becirovic, our sporting director, and that’s it. I took on this responsibility and am already trying to fulfill it with dignity.

— What is it like working with Oliver Popovic?

— Oliver joined us only this morning, to be honest, because he has a Super League team, and by the way, they beat Khimki from the Moscow region yesterday. Congratulations to him. He joined us only in the morning. But on the bench, in the hours he spent with us, I can only thank him. He and Sani Becirovic helped me a lot on the bench — in terms of energy and support, as well as tactical advice during the game.