"The attitude is always the same": Popovic and Samukhin discuss victory over Yugra

The center for Zenit’s reserve team, Vladislav Samukhin, shared his emotions following their 102:75 win against Universitet-Yugra in the 11th round of the Fonbet Super League.

— How did the game unfold, and what led to such a large margin?

— Probably because we followed the coach's instructions from the first quarter. He told us to take away the opponent's three-point shots as much as possible. We pushed the tempo and defended well. It was a good game. Everyone got on the court, and almost everyone scored. Only positive emotions.

— Does having experienced players like Igor Volkhin, Daniil Aksenov and Elkhan Akhmedov in the team give you confidence? How much do they help you on the court?

— Their experience makes it easier to play with them. They can always back us up if the younger part of the team struggles. We’re really grateful to have them with us.

— With two centers missing, much of the load falls on you. Thanks to Egor Ryzhov's help, you get some relief. But how challenging are these games for you?

— The games are relatively easy because the practices are the hardest part. I run without substitutions during practice, so I have no issues during matches.

— In the second quarter, Yugra managed to close the gap a little. How did that happen? Where did we falter?

— The team just became a bit relaxed overall. We had a 25-point lead in the first quarter and let up. They started scoring. But the coach gave us a good talking-to during the timeout, so everything turned out fine in the end.

— How difficult is it to prepare mentally for a game against a team that’s much lower than you in the standings?

— The mindset is always the same. Our goal is to make the playoffs, so there’s no room for complacency before any game. Even if the opponent is in last place, our attitude remains the same.

Zenit-2's head coach, Oliver Popovic, also commented on the match's outcome and shared how he prepares the team before games.

— Aside from the second quarter, it was fine. Players who don’t usually play as much got their chance; some took advantage of it, some didn’t. We’ll assess that as we move forward. The main goal was to keep the team fresh for the game against Khimki, which will likely be much tougher than today’s. That’s why we managed the minutes. The starters played less than 20 minutes, though a few played more. But overall, apart from the second quarter, everything went well.

— After this win, Zenit-2 climbs to first place in the standings. As a coach, does it feel rewarding to see such a young team reach the top spot?

— Of course, it’s very rewarding. But my personal goal is not just to see us in first place now but to have us play good basketball throughout the season. At the end, we’ll evaluate whether it was successful or not. But yes, it’s certainly nice to be in first place for now.

— Today, we scored over 100 points again, but the opponent still managed to score over 70. How did they achieve that?

— When I mentioned the second quarter, I meant our defense. Overall, we started well defensively. But then, you know, it’s typical for a young team. With a 20-point lead, they started focusing only on offense. That doesn’t work against an experienced team like Yugra. As a result, they scored a lot in the first half. By the middle of the fourth quarter, we got back to defending. That’s the reason, but it’s typical for a young team.

— How do you motivate the team to play against opponents much lower in the standings? Is it any different than preparing for games against top teams?

— Honestly, I prepare them for every game the same way: "Play for yourself, not for the opponent". Each player isn’t playing for me, for the assistant coach, or for management. They’re playing for themselves. So, whether they’re wearing Zenit’s blue or white jersey, they need to give 100%. The attitude must always be at 100%.