Andrey Martiuk: "There are no easy points without good defense"
Zenit media team spoke with Andrey Martiuk after the away victory over Saratov’s Avtodor (64:95). In the game against the Volga team, the center scored 14 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, made 1 assist, and 1 steal.
— Andrey, fresh off the game, can you share your emotions?
— It’s always nice to win by a large margin on the road. Games like this bring joy; you could say every moment is enjoyable.
— The match was very physical from the start. How important was it to maintain that level of intensity?
— It’s important to show and sustain that level of effort. Those who endure and continue to impose contact usually win and gain an advantage.
— Can you recall how many dunks you made today? And which one was the most spectacular?
— I only missed one, right? Six dunks. My favorite was when I went on a fast break and Moon passed me the ball. Another one was after a rebound: I shot with my left hand and made a putback, that one I really liked.
— If we’re not mistaken, yes, there were six. The opponent also scored a few two-handed dunks. Was there a specific plan to attack through the paint?
— No, it just happened that way: they gave us opportunities, we read the game, and in the end, everything worked out well.
— In the second quarter, you managed to make a surge and take control of the game. What allowed you to turn the match around?
— Thanks to solid defense and physicality. When you play reliably on defense and then push for fast breaks, you get easy points. But there are no easy points without good defense.
— There were a lot of emotions during the game, sometimes even conflicts. What did the coach say in those moments?
— The coach says: "Stay calm, don’t let emotions take over and lose control of the game".
— Ahead is Pari Nizhny Novgorod — the final away game. They recently beat Uralmash. What do you expect from this match?
— It’s always tough to play in Nizhny. It’s quite cool there because of the parquet floor. The team is tough, with a good coach and skilled players.
