Andrey Vorontsevich: "We grabbed a lot of offensive rebounds"
Zenit forward Andrey Vorontsevich in an interview with Zenit-TV commented on the away victory over Uralmash (72:78) in the 8th round of the VTB United League.
— What was the key to today's victory?
— First of all, defense and rebounding. I think our shooting percentage wasn’t the best, especially from three-point range, and we made turnovers that allowed the opponent to score a lot on fast breaks. But still, in the fourth quarter, we grabbed every rebound and scored ourselves.
— You hit some threes right away. Did that boost your confidence? Uralmash had such intense fan support.
— Confidence is always there. But confidence really comes from defense when you stop your opponent. Moreover, we were sorting it out, and the coach said about it that they run very well and try to pick up and run quickly, it seems to me that today we grabbed a lot of offensive rebounds.
— At one point, Zenit managed to pull ahead with a score of 29:18. What happened after that? Did their timeout change the game?
— Again, it was the shooting percentage. We missed our shots. The opponent, with that kind of crowd support, was energized and made their shots. Naturally, playing in front of such a crowd, it's always going to be tough for Zenit in all matches. We’re a big target for all clubs, and everyone wants to show their best against Zenit. We always need to be ready and focused for the full 40 minutes.
— Before the game, Xavi said it was crucial to respond to the last loss with a win. Did you have any doubts about winning today?
— There were no doubts. We talked with the guys about the fact that, if you compare our roster and Uralmash’s, we have more talent. But we also understood that underestimating the opponent was not an option. They have really good players, both Russian and foreign. Anyone can score if you give them the chance. It was a good basketball game today, although not without mistakes. But still, we secured the win in the end. So, congratulations to everyone on the victory.
