Zenit forward Sergey Karasev emerged a winner in Sunday’s electric shootout against Alexey Shved and Khimki, setting a new career-high for points in the League (35) and proving he’s healthy again and a legitimate star.
Karasev spoke with VTB-League.com about his most recent duel against Alexey Shved in the NBA, how he responds to criticism and his new status as a leader.
– Prior to the game with Khimki did you have any premonition that something special might happen?
– It was really a huge game. We’d lost twice at home to rival clubs–Lokomotiv and UNICS–teams that we are battling for a spot in the Euroleague and a podium finish. Khimki is also another rival and we had to make a stand. We couldn’t lose in front of our fans.
Personally, I approached the game like all the rest: with the same effort and concentration. But the outcome was more important.
– In one interview, you admitted that you pay attention to Shved’s stats. Do you remember the last time the two of you dueled on the court?
– I honestly don’t remember saying that I kept track of Shved’s stats, but that’s fine (laughs). The last time I played him, I was in Cleveland and he was in Minnesota. I even had clips of that game on my phone. We’re friends and partners on the national team, though. We try to help each other and the team.
– This was Zenit’s first game in the League in 2017. How did you spend your vacation?
– I celebrated New Year’s with family, then we had practice on the 1st. Our game against Nizhny Novgorod in the Eurocup was a disaster. We didn’t have enough concentration. Before the Khimki game, we worked on our mistakes, which is why we played as a team and keyed on our defense, even though we gave up a lot of points. The team had a different attitude. The guys were hungry for a win.
– A lot of people have said that Sergey Karasev disappears in big games when he’s under a lot of pressure. How would you answer that critique?
– To be honest, I don’t know. The best place to answer that type of criticism is on the court and I think I did that in the last game. I’ll try to keep it up. There are some big games for me and the team coming up.
– You returned after the stint in the NBA to play for your dad again. Is it easier or harder now than when you played at Triumph?
– I think it’s gotten more difficult. I left for America as a role player–important, but not a key player. Now I’ve got a lot of responsibilities as a leader and someone who needs to carry the team. That’s why expectations are higher and my dad has a lot on the line. After all, he’s the one who initiated my move to Zenit. So everything’s twice as difficult: I don’t have the right to let myself or my dad down.
– Do you get recognized often in St. Petersburg?
– Yeah, I’m recognized pretty often, which is very nice. It’s obvious that people love basketball in St. Petersburg. There are a lot of people at games. When fans come up to me, it’s always to get an autograph and take a picture.
– Could Zenit focus more on defense in the second half of the season? What would the result be?
– We need to be more aggressive on defense. But other teams may score as much as Khimki did simply because there are a lot of very talented teams in the League. Regardless of our defense, the offense always has better odds. But if we can get a little better on the defensive end, we’ll accomplish the goals we set for the season.
– You are the last Russian to be drafted in the NBA. Could you name any young players that you think have a chance to receive the same honor in the near future?
– Honestly, I don’t know the young guys very well, especially the 16-18-year-olds on the national team. But they say there’s some promising talent. The most important thing is for the basketball federation to move in the right direction: develop youth sport and popularize basketball in Russia. That’s the reason more guys are playing basketball, which means there are better odds that Russia will have new representatives in the NBA.
