- How did it happen that the leader of European basketball suffered such a crushing defeat from UNICS?
- Our mood was outrageous. Indeed, the second year in a row we came to a meeting with CSKA with the same indicators - both teams have six wins and not a single defeat. Last season we lost, and after that everything went awry. The contract lost to the St. Petersburg and Moscow Dynamo, lost confidence. I did not want to step on the same rake. There must be intrigue in the championship.
- How do you explain your own success on Saturday?
- I slept well. (Laughs). And, of course, the crazy charge of the whole team was transmitted to me. And in the end, he simply decided to be active, not limited to scoring a miserable six points. In addition, in the last segment, Savrasenko often kept me, and it was necessary to take advantage of the speed. And still I want to note the actions of teammates. In my opinion, UNICS showed very high-quality and beautiful basketball, gaining more than 100 points against an opponent who is famous for good defense.
- You scored 12 points in a row for the team - three treshki and a ball from under the ring with a foul. It was clear that he felt confident. Did not want to extend the series?
- Until the end there was little, about three minutes, and there wasn’t much sense - the main thing is that we won.
- UNICS generally recently shows an amazing percentage of hits. What is the reason? And why do you manage to lose?
- First about the defeats. They were great in scripting. Say, against “Red Star” we “flew” 22 points, and refereeing in Belgrade was, let’s say, incomprehensible. We got technical, unsportsmanlike fouls ... And yet we had a chance to save the situation in the last minute, but they did not use it. As for the game in Thessaloniki with PAOK, in it we lacked some zest. They acted too schematically and defended without much desire. Notice, our failures are away, and away all the favorites, both Dynamo Moscow and CSKA, have a hard time on the road. CSKA will not envy at all. On them, rivals are configured as a war.
As for the high percentage of hits, I explain it not only with well-functioning team actions, but also with the high skill of the guys from UNICS. Our snipers are experienced players who know how to be at the right time in the right place and how to use such opportunities. However, I do not think that we are a team of perimeter shooters. The club has enormous potential under the ring, and we are working to unlock it.
- Now it is no secret that they were especially prepared for the meeting with CSKA?
- The main thing was that on the eve after training, our president Evgeny Bogachev went into the locker room and brought champagne. He very much asked us to win, talked about how important this victory was. We ate cakes and sweets, drank a couple of sips for the health of birthday boy Jarod Stevenson. (Laughs). Seriously, we paid special attention to the “twos” CSKA. I think, in general, they managed to cope with them, although Papaloukas several times passed through the ring precisely at the expense of them. However, nothing perfect happens, and we covered our mistakes due to crazy dedication.
- In the first half, Smodis threw you 20 points, but in the second they managed to keep him. Did you find any antidotes during the break?
- Nothing special. CSKA used a new combination: in an early attack, Smodisu put Savrasenko in the background. Matyazh successfully opened a couple of times under the ring, scored several penalties after rather controversial fouls. After the break we played a little more carefully, and Smodis immediately missed a couple of shots and, apparently, lost a little confidence.
“By the way, about the controversial whistles.” Some fans claim that if it were not for the referees, UNICS would have won with a difference of points of 40-50 ...
- This is a clear excess. Yes, there were strange moments. Two or three fouls were especially surprised at Dariusz Lavrynovych, who was removed from the site with five comments in just 15 minutes. But judges are people too, they are sometimes mistaken. I do not think that their blots significantly affected the result.
- You spent almost all your career in warm Italy, Turkey, and Greece. Now the second year has gone in Russia. How do you feel in Kazan?
- The weather, of course, is not very happy. It’s cold, rainy. But in a professional sense, all conditions are created. Basket Hall is a great arena for both games and training. All this warms the soul, replaces the sun. (Laughs). And in warmer countries you can get out during the holidays. In the second year in Kazan I feel, of course, more comfortable. During this time, the team got used to each other, found mutual understanding, and the game now gives pleasure.
- What are the feelings in the unusual position of the center, which often have to shift?
- In modern basketball, the difference between the fourth and fifth numbers is rapidly erasing. After all, with the “deuce” exchanges often occur, because virtually all players must become universal. "Big" still need to be mobile to be able to move low and quickly. And I would not say that I constantly have to play the role of a center. Against the same Savrasenko, I turned out to be, perhaps, two or three times.
- What is the difference between the coaching style of Stanislav Eremin and Antanas Sireyki, under whose leadership you managed to play in UNICS?
- I would not like to comment on this. Nevertheless, we all work together, and we would not want to look for any differences or contradictions.
- Can you say that the current UNICS is the Dream Team of your career?
- In terms of potential - of course. And in the human sense, it’s very interesting here, because the team gets along very different guys in terms of characters and playing styles. What are at least two acrobat brothers Lavrinovichi worth? They know everything - to score, give, pick up, cover the throw. Now UNICS is very strong, and our defeats result only from our own flaws. This season we have stumbled through our fault three times already, and we will try not to do so anymore.
- By the way, joining the team of Dariusz Lavrynovych increased competition in your position. There was no fear that you could be a spare?
- This is not the first time in my career that I have to get into a set of four to five good “big” teams. So it was in the “Macedonicos”, “Aris”, where they had to compete with Skorcianitis, Stack, Raichevich. In addition, Dariusz took the place of Martin Muyursepp and strengthened UNICS, because Dariusz is much better protected and knows how to speak in many positions. In general, it should be interesting for coaches to work with our team, because the scope for maneuver is huge, there are many options for the composition.
- In the summer your contract will expire, and according to the new regulations, you, despite having a Russian passport, will turn into a legionnaire. No worries about employment?
- I do not exclude that difficulties will arise. But I'm not used to acting as a legionnaire. Although, of course, it will be a pity to leave Russia.
- Wow! I remember that not so long ago, on the contrary, you did not want to go to Russia - you preferred more civilized and warmer countries.
- Times change. Now it is in the Russian Super League that an influx of elite players is coming, the championship is becoming more and more interesting, and the infrastructure is rapidly changing in a positive direction. Here they love sports, basketball (although, of course, in Italy and Greece, too), you can feel the dynamics, so you want to cook a little longer in all of this.
- Do you think you are progressing in Russia yourself?
- I hope so. Clubs like CSKA and Moscow Dynamo are forced to go to a different level, to jump above their heads. I remember well how in the composition of “Macedonikos” first went to the match against the legendary “Panathinaikos” in the championship of Greece. Prior to this, "Pao" saw only on TV, and here - here it is, in front of you. It was a shock. Now I am more comfortable with such meetings. For which many thanks to the Russian and European giants, with whom I had to play a lot.
Nikolai TSYNKEVICH