Andrei Vorontsevich: "I want to win on our home court and make our fans happy"

Zenit forward Andrey Vorontsevich shared his feelings after the victory in the semifinal match against MBA-MAI in the Kondrashin and Belov Cup (80:71).

— Andryi, congratulations on the win. You played in front of the Petersburg fans as the home team for the first time today. What were your impressions of the game?

— The impressions are amazing. First of all, I want to congratulate the fans on the victory. A big thank you to everyone who supported us, who came to the stands, and who watched us on the OKKO portal. The arena is excellent; I’ve always enjoyed playing here. And, as you rightly said, being the home team is wonderful. Yes, there were some shortcomings, and there are some understandable pre-season errors. But I hope that during the season we will correct and eliminate them and play more cleanly.

— How do you rate your own performance?

— Of course, none of us are perfect and can play without mistakes. But this is a game, and the opponent also wants to win, so I would rate my performance as decent. Overall, I liked it. My main task is for the team to win, and the rest is individual and not as important.

— The intrigue of today’s match lasted until the end, and at one point, MBA turned the game around. How did you correct the mistakes?

— Through energy and good defense. We allowed them to score several three-pointers in a row when we had a 6 or 7-point lead. They scored three in a row and immediately took the lead. Then we responded. Sergey Karasev came in and hit a fantastic three-pointer from the corner, and then we went on a run. I believe it was the energy on defense. We can play like that for all 40 minutes, but again, it’s preseason, and maybe some guys are still getting into shape. We are in the final stages of preparation and still don’t have a huge amount of time playing together. Some flaws remain, and that’s just how it is. Nevertheless, we played well on defense, grabbed rebounds, and didn’t let them score.

— In the final of the Kondrashin and Belov Cup, we will play against UNICS. Will this match be significant for you considering your past?

— Yes, of course. Every team — MBA, UNICS, and Nizhny — is significant. You understand, when you play for Zenit, you must win with Zenit. No matter who your opponent is, they will naturally be a significant rival. We want to win on our home court and make our fans happy. We will fight.

— Petersburg fans finally saw the updated Zenit today, and tomorrow we have the final match ahead. What would you like to say to the blue-white-blue fans?

— Guys, come out, cheer, enjoy yourselves, get a good mood, watch beautiful basketball, and support your favorite club. Go, Zenit!