Xavi Pascual: "In the last part of the match we had the opportunity to win"

Zenit head coach Xavi Pascual shared his thoughts after the defeat by CSKA (83:77) in Moscow. At the post-match press conference, specialist noted that from the first half-out, the team added to the defense and began to return to the game.

— One game that clearly we didn't start well. We didn't approach well. Defensively, we were very bad in the first minutes. But after that, step by step, we started to feel the game. And in the last part of the game, we had the opportunity to win. But in the last four minutes, we had four turnovers and three, let's say, three shots that we didn't score. And this is why finally we couldn't win the game.

— What happened in the end of the fourth quarter, why Spellman was chosen to shoot?

— There were 11 seconds left, and we were losing by 4 points, we had to try to take one quick basket because we need two baskets to win. We were trying two options. One was this option. But we didn't lose because of this. We lost before. Our turnovers, offense that we didn't execute well. Some situations that clearly we could do it better.

We were talking from the first timeout that we have to change the way we were playing, to be more solid defensively, to play a little bit more tough, and also offensively, to understand what we have to do in all the situations. We were going in this way, so I think, really, I was thinking that the last part of the game is going to be point by point, and one team will score one basket to finish or not. But these turnovers that we did before decided the game a little bit earlier than I was thinking.

— Please tell us when Sergey Karasev will be back?

— About Sergey, still from Supercup, he has problems with his elbow. And still, he didn't recover well. He needs time to be OK. He tried to help in several games, but we need time to work with him, to come back when he will be perfect.