Georgy Zhbanov: "After the break we played much better"

One of the heroes of the match against Avtodor (103:86) Georgy Zhbanov shared his emotions after a bright victory and talked in detail about his tasks in today’s game.

— Georgy, congratulations on your victory! Despite the score, can this match be characterized as a thriller?

— Yes, in the first half, we struggled with many things in defense. During the break, the coach pointed out our mistakes, after which we came out and played much better, leading the game to victory.

— You had your most productive match for Zenit. Do you remember the last time everything went so well for you on the court?

— Everything always goes well when we play from defense. Probably, the last really successful match I can recall is the final of the Russian Cup. That was also quite a productive game for me. But generally, I try not to focus on points, I work from defense. If there’s an opportunity to attack, we attack. If not, it’s no big deal we play for our teammates.

— Today Zenit made six blocks during the match and one of the most impressive moments was your block on Artem Klimenko. So, the opponent wasn’t ready for that?

— I am still offended by Artem Klimenko, because he did not give me the 12th number last year. This is for that he not giving the number. Let him be careful the next time he goes into the paint.

— According to the coach’s instructions, what role were you assigned today? Was it to shoot from beyond the arc at the first opportunity?

— No, there wasn’t such an instruction. It was to play from defense and if there’s an opportunity, shoot without thinking. So, I shot without thinking. And it all worked out.

— Zenit has reached the second hundred at the start of the season. What’s your secret?

— I don’t know. But I really hope we continue to play effectively, delighting our fans with a lot of points. I hope we keep it up.

— Xavier Pascual played his 250th match for Zenit as head coach. How will you congratulate the coach?

— I don’t know, maybe there should be some interesting restaurant from the coach. We’ll be waiting for him to treat us (laughs).

To Zenit fans, thank you for always being with us; we can always hear and see you. Thanks to your support, we achieve such large victories. Because of your support, we don't fall down and move forward together with you. Let's go, Zenit!