Dnepr player: “We want to win and prove that defeat was a mistake”

Dnepr player Maksim Zakurdaev He shared his expectations from the Kiev tour, where his team will play Kiev-Basket (January 17) and Rivne (January 18).

– Maxim, Dnepr played two matches last week against Hoverla and Stary Lutsk and won both. How difficult were these matches for you after the break in the championship?

– We always maintain our physical shape, we worked hard for this during the holidays and the short break of the championship. Probably the fact that we were going to Zaporozhye by bus left its mark on our game. For this reason, the first quarters were not very successful for us. Then we increased the tempo and gained an advantage. All in all, these two wins were quite convincing for us.

– In what mode did you practice this week, considering that the next match will be played against Kiev-Basket?

– In addition to the general training regime, we train directly according to our plan, which explains how to prepare for the game. We rested after the matches in Zaporozhye and stayed in shape for two days by playing some combinations that Kiev-Basket usually uses. After Kyiv-Basket, we will prepare for the Rivne match.

– The only team that defeated you in local tournaments last season was “Kyiv-Basket”. Now this is your main rival?

– Probably not, not essential. We won a lot against them. They are also among the leaders in the rankings, so this is a very important match for us. We want to defeat those close to us.

– On November 1, you defeated Kyiv-Basket with a score of 70:69. Do you think it will be such a close match this time too?

– It’s hard to say, but I think our advantage will be 10+.

– Egor Sushkin showed himself last season in “Kiev-Basket”, and this season Artem Romanitsa showed himself no less well. How do you plan to control this active youth?

“We can contain them.” You just shouldn’t let these guys get away with it. Of course they are ambitious and they really want to win. But we are trying to play smart, so stopping the youth is not a difficult task for us. It’s nice to play against such promising players. Moreover, Sushkin gained more experience in the national team, where he performed very well. Playing against such young and ambitious players and trying to control them is actually an interesting challenge.

– When you look at the average level of the teams, is the current championship stronger than the previous one?

– I thought I was getting stronger at the beginning of the championship, but now I don’t know… “Cherkassy Mavpy” experienced a big decline with the departure of Agafonov. Some other teams have slowed down a bit compared to the start of the championship. On the other hand, there are teams such as “Old Lutsk”, which, on the contrary, have begun to add. In general, I think the level remains the same as last season.

– You averaged 9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13 games this season. How satisfied are you with your personal statistics?

– I’m not very happy. These are role-playing statistics… But if we win, these indicators are sufficient for the success of the team. I’m trying to play better and help more.

– “Kyiv-Basket” match will be played in the capital’s Veneto Sports Palace. This means there will be a lot of opposition fans. Does this create extra pressure for you, or on the contrary, is it nice to have the hall filled with spectators?

– Yes, the atmosphere is very nice. He plays with emotions well, especially when the hall is full of spectators. Even if the hall is physically cold, you feel some kind of warmth inside. For example, in Zaporozhye, fans are not allowed to come to the match and the game may appear gray somewhere. The picture is somehow missing. In this sense, it is quite difficult there; You can lose your concentration, you can get confused… But it’s nice if there are fans, even if they are rivals. We are already experienced players, we do not care who the fans support on the field. In the current realities, we are happy that spectators come to watch basketball.

– Besides Kiev-Basket, you will also play against Rivne, the only team to defeat Dnepr this season. Do you promise to take your revenge powerfully?

– Of course we want to win and prove that the defeat was a mistake. Somewhere we did not adapt well to this game, we relaxed… We need to give a worthy answer and prove that “Rovno” won because we played poorly.