Egor Ryzhov: "I will celebrate at practice, shooting free throws"

The center of the blue-whites team, Egor Ryzhov, shared his emotions with Zenit TV after the away win over Enisey (69:97). In the recent game, the player scored 23 points, as well as recording 9 rebounds and 1 steal.

— Egor, congratulations on the away win. How does it feel to score the most points in the starting lineup of Zenit in an away game?

— Thank you for the congratulations. It’s nice to score the most points. But it’s nothing, I scored and that's it.

— During the game, especially in the fourth quarter, it was noticeable that you, Bacon, and Moon were scoring the same amount of points. Was it important for you to surpass your teammates?

— Of course, it was important. But I was just doing what was expected of me, that’s all.

— Today, you confidently made free throws and even had dunks. Can we say that you’ve gained the confidence you were lacking before?

— Maxim Uchaykin practices free throws with me a lot, and not just them. Thanks to him, he helps me a lot. That’s how the confidence comes, yes.

— When there was still a minute left and Zenit had 97 points, did you think about throwing a three-pointer to buy everyone burgers or pizza?

— I’m already buying them burgers and pizza. I think I won’t get away from that.

— What do you have to say to Vince? Did he congratulate you, maybe he already sent something to you by phone? What will you talk about, because 23 points, I think, he hasn’t scored in a long time?

— Vince is a professional, anyway. He’s out now, but he will recover soon and play, and I will continue competing with him.

— What does Zenit need to do to score the maximum points in the last two games of the year? At home, we face UNICS and Uralmash. Do you feel confident that the game against UNICS will go as well as the one against CSKA?

— We’re playing at home, so of course, there is confidence. Each player just needs to focus on their job.

— How will you celebrate this win and your 23 points? Will you do something special?

— Nothing special. I will celebrate at practice, shooting free throws with Maxim Uchaikin.

— And finally, I’d like to ask you about the quality of the floor, the court. Many people say that it’s laid with waves here. Were there any issues because of that?

— Well, the court, yes. The court is really cool. It sinks a lot in many places, and the ball sometimes bounces in unexpected directions. But it didn’t affect the final score of the game.

— Given that you scored 23 points, maybe this is the way to play?

— I just didn’t pound the ball too much. It was always up high for me. I didn’t even need to bring it down.