Coaches’ Post-game Press Conference
21.05.2003
Sergei Belov: "The final series isn’t decided by tactical schemes. In a seven-game marathon, the teams learn about each other down to the smallest details. It is more a battle of character."
Sergei Belov, PBC Ural-Great head coach:
"The final series isn’t decided by tactical schemes. In a seven-game marathon, the teams learn about each other down to the smallest details. It is more a battle of character. A battle of motivation. Today we were successful in the third and fourth quarters. My boys were moving better. Especially on offense. That brought us success. It may have seemed that we had problems against the zone defense in the beginning. But I don’t think so. My guys just missed some open shots. We changed things up a bit at halftime, and eventually forced CSKA to get out of their zone. But the main thing is that in the second half Ural-Great didn’t make the same mistakes that it made in the first two games in Moscow. These mistakes weren’t so obvious to the fans, but they affected the outcome. Be that as it may, it’s time to forget this game. We have another one tomorrow."
Dusan Ivkovic, PBC CSKA head coach:
"Ural-Great was better today and earned the victory. The third quarter was the deciding one. We lost it 22-4. And we only earned one foul the entire quarter. That was a complete surprise to me, that my experienced team completely lost their concentration in the second half with a 10-point lead. But the responsibility is on me. I can’t say that Ural-Great came at us with any surprises. We just played poorly."
"The final series isn’t decided by tactical schemes. In a seven-game marathon, the teams learn about each other down to the smallest details. It is more a battle of character. A battle of motivation. Today we were successful in the third and fourth quarters. My boys were moving better. Especially on offense. That brought us success. It may have seemed that we had problems against the zone defense in the beginning. But I don’t think so. My guys just missed some open shots. We changed things up a bit at halftime, and eventually forced CSKA to get out of their zone. But the main thing is that in the second half Ural-Great didn’t make the same mistakes that it made in the first two games in Moscow. These mistakes weren’t so obvious to the fans, but they affected the outcome. Be that as it may, it’s time to forget this game. We have another one tomorrow."
Dusan Ivkovic, PBC CSKA head coach:
"Ural-Great was better today and earned the victory. The third quarter was the deciding one. We lost it 22-4. And we only earned one foul the entire quarter. That was a complete surprise to me, that my experienced team completely lost their concentration in the second half with a 10-point lead. But the responsibility is on me. I can’t say that Ural-Great came at us with any surprises. We just played poorly."
