Victory Is Never Simple: Zenits Emchenko Reflects on Win Against Yenisei

The guard of the VTB United League team «Zenit,» **[Vladislav Emchenko](https://www.example.com)**, shared his thoughts on the victory over the Krasnodar «Enisey» (105:81).

**— Given such a significant score, can this win be considered an easy one?**
— Absolutely not. In my view, an easy victory occurs when an opponent fails to show up, resulting in a score of 20:0 (a forfeit). That’s an easy win. Regardless, we prepared thoroughly for this match; it was a special game for us. For one, it was at home, and all home games hold special significance. It’s great to have fans come out and support us. Additionally, we lost to them last time we played away. Yes, we had a different lineup then, but that doesn’t change anything. We still owed them, so it was crucial for us to win today. This marks our fourth consecutive victory, with three more games ahead before the Christmas break. We’re already focused on the next match coming up in a couple of days. Congratulations to the team on this win. Once again, we prepared well and put in a lot of effort. There were some mistakes and misunderstandings, but we aim for a perfect game, even though that’s not always achievable. I’m glad to know there’s always room for improvement, which means there’s still work to do and progress to be made.

**— In the first quarter, both teams displayed quite a fast-paced style of basketball, scoring a total of 61 points together. A fan might say that there was a lack of defense. How do you respond to that?**
— I completely agree. The coaching staff emphasized that we needed to come out strong from the start with solid defense—no easy ball movement and forcing tough shots. If I remember correctly, the first quarter ended with a score of 30:31. While we had no issues on offense, I believe we shouldn’t allow our opponents to score so many easy baskets and get plenty of open three-point attempts, which definitely gives them confidence. In the second quarter, we made a stronger effort on defense, managed to make some steals, and by halftime, we had a 15-point lead. Then, in the second half, we maintained our performance and carried it through to the end, — said Emchenko, as reported by the press service of the blue-white-blue team.