Vladislav Emchenko: "Until the middle of the fourth quarter, it was an even game"

Zenit guard Vladislav Emchenko analyzed the home victory over PARMA (74:64) — exclusively for Zenit TV.

— Vladislav, it was not an easy win. Congratulations on the victory. Please share your first impressions.

— Yes, congratulations to everyone on the win! Thanks to everyone who came. There were a lot of people today, the support was great, the atmosphere was wonderful. Thank you to everyone who supported us from in front of their TV screens as well. It was important for us to win at home today. We played very well in the previous game against UNICS and won, and before the game with PARMA the coach emphasized that we should forget the previous game as soon as possible and play today not worse, but even better. PARMA lost their previous game, and today they came out from the very first seconds showing that they were ready to fight for every ball. Until about the middle of the fourth quarter it was an even game, with a difference of about 4-5 points. In the end we managed to defend well, run smart offense, and the lead grew to 10 points. At that moment it became clear that we had won.

— In the first quarter there were a lot of turnovers — nine. Later it was clear that the team improved in this component, right?

— Yes, in the first half we scored about 35 points, which is less than our average. But we allowed only 36, which can be considered good defense against a fairly attacking team like PARMA. Offensively, as you said, we had many turnovers. Maybe it was because every player had too strong a desire to score or create something, and there were many rushed actions. We would steal the ball, run a fast break, and lose it again. The coach pointed this out and said we needed to be calmer and smarter in offense. You could see that in the second half, especially at the end of the game, and that’s how we achieved a positive result.

— It wasn’t the most high-scoring game. What becomes the key when both teams play such tight defense?

— Offense is something that may work or may not work on a given day. We must always rely on defense. Defense cannot be good one day and bad the next — it has to stay at a high level all the time, and that’s how we keep our standard. Today a lot didn’t work for us offensively: turnovers, missed shots, traveling, and so on. But thanks to our defense we stayed even with them, and in the end that same defense essentially decided the outcome of the game. In the next game our offense will probably look more interesting and productive, and if the defense stays the same — or even more aggressive and tighter — the results will be even better.

— In the third quarter PARMA scored only 10 points, and in the fourth we completely turned the game around. What did the coaching staff say during halftime?

— As I said, the coach emphasized that we were rushing a little in offense and sometimes not sharing the ball enough — you could say we were being a bit greedy. We just needed to move the ball more calmly. Defensively he said we had to keep focusing on rebounding, because at times PARMA played with four big players. It’s difficult because they all go for rebounds, and of course we were smaller in defense. At the same time, though, that gave us an advantage in offense — we could attack from the perimeter and we were faster. So the coach pointed out the details. We didn’t change anything extraordinary — we simply added a bit more physicality in defense, moved the ball a little better in offense, scored, and won.

— This was the fourth game against PARMA in the regular season. You surely studied them before this match. In what ways were all our games similar?

— I don’t remember the first two games very well… Ah, I remember the first one at home — we also won it by just two points. It seems to me that all four games ended with a very small difference in score. Games against PARMA, especially away, are tough — you can’t relax for even a second. Every year they assemble a team with foreign players who know how to play offense. The young Russian guys — Leva Svinin and Gleb Firsov — are growing and improving with every game. They have a united team and coaching staff; Evgeny Yuryevich Pashutin and his assistants know how to work with every player. So they’re a strong team, and as far as I know they’ve beaten every team from the top four except us. I’m glad we managed to get four wins against them, but all of those wins were really hard-fought. So once again — congratulations to everyone on the victory!

— You probably heard that before the game Zenit officially announced the opening of a women’s fan sector next to the Blue-White-Sky Blues bench in sector C11. What would you like to say to the girls from Basket Sis who support and worry about the team and even travel to away games sometimes?

— Oh, I actually already recorded a video congratulating them, but I’ll add something. We made a gift for all the girls who support us and cheer for Zenit Basketball Club — we beat UNICS. And today we confirmed it again. Also, stepping a little away from basketball, I’d like to wish each of you personal happiness and well-being. May you become even more beautiful, love and be loved. And once again — simply be happy. Thank you very much for coming and supporting us. I could say a lot more, but I’ll just say: we love you. Let’s go, Zenit!