Denis LUKASHOV: “We have no right to make mistakes”

Denis Lukashov, captain of the Ukraine national basketball team, commented on his 79:72 win against Iceland in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.

– What are your impressions of the match against Iceland?

“We are happy to win this tough victory. We understood that Iceland team played very special basketball. We felt it when we lost away in overtime. We tried to focus, we worked on mistakes, we changed a few during the match. And in the end we got a very difficult but necessary win for our team. We have the right to make mistakes. No, we just need to win to save the chance to reach the World Cup.

– Was there a special desire for revenge after the defeat in Iceland?

– Yes, of course, we were very upset and embarrassed about the defeat. When we entered the locker room after the Iceland match, we could not believe the defeat. So today we were just going to win.

– Thanks to what did you succeed in making a breakthrough and winning in the fourth quarter?

– I think it’s just because of aggressive defense. We have prepared a special defense against their leader, Elvar Friedrikson. Looking at the conversion rate and backline partner, I think we did our job. The defense gave us opportunities for quick attacks and three-pointers when we found clear shots.

– How would you rate your game, especially at the end of the game, when you already feel tired?

– I was really tired during this game. Unfortunately, Ilya Sidorov was injured and had to finish the match ahead of schedule. I think that was the turning point – we didn’t have a second quarterback to help. But there was no other chance, it was necessary to endure and keep playing.

– What are your impressions of the team’s performance in November?

– We reached our goal, we won the two wins we needed, unfortunately we couldn’t make it in the summer. It doesn’t matter who comes to the national team, what matters is who is ready and what the player is ready to do to win. The guys came and proved that they are ready to give all their strength to achieve the main goal and win.