Sergey Karasev: "We set the tone in the first half"
— Sergey, congratulations on the victory. This is the third time this season that Zenit has scored over 100 points at home. What allows the team to play in such an aggressive manner?
— First and foremost, we played very well on defense. We only allowed 56 points, and that led to a fast offense. We felt the game, and thanks to our defense, we found our shots, moved the ball around and played very much as a team. It's all on the scoreboard — everyone scored. It’s very nice to win like that. But now we have a very important game on Sunday, so we need to forget this match and start preparing for Loko.
— This is Zenit's largest-ever win against PARMA. How would you assess the result?
— Everyone gave their all, fought hard, moved the ball and worked on defense. So, if we keep playing like this, we have a very bright future ahead of us. We just need to keep pushing and working. There are always mistakes, of course, you can’t avoid them. As a result, there is always room for improvement and things to work on.
— The team didn’t wait until the third quarter and immediately pulled away. How would you assess the performance of your team and the opponent?
— We set the tone in the first half. The Russian players who came off the bench fit into the game perfectly. There was a small lead, and they extended it. When you go into the second half with that kind of advantage, it’s very tough for the other team. That’s why we came out in the third quarter with the same energy as in the first half, extended the lead further and finished the game with a win.
— When the lead became quite large, did the coach suggest saving energy?
— I think that anyone who steps on the court has no right to save energy. They must give 100%, whether it’s a equal game or you're leading by 40 points. At least, I definitely can’t. I think this is the key to success because if we had started saving energy, PARMA could have closed the gap, and the margin wouldn’t have been as big. And we definitely wouldn’t have scored 100.
— Are you expecting a lot of fans at Sunday’s game against Loko?
— We’d love to have a full arena because fan support is really important to us. We always feel it and it gives us extra energy. So, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone this Sunday evening to support us, and we’ll do everything we can to make you happy.
