"We didn't score 10 points on an empty ring"

Mohammad Amini's three-pointer 1.7 seconds before the end of the fourth quarter brought the Iranian national team victory over Russia in a friendly match in Khimki (70:67). Amini scored 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, while Vahedi Mohammadsina (20 points) became the most productive player of the meeting. Alexander Shcherbenev (16 + 4 assists + 3 steals) and Alexander Gankevich (13 + 4 rebounds + 4 assists) scored 29 points for our national team. In an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, Gankevich named the reasons for the defeat, and also speculated about the signings of CSKA and the upcoming Eurobasket 2025.

"I'll single out Frolov from the young ones"

— What was missing from our national team in the match against Iran?

— Definitely not enough teamwork. The Iranians have played six matches this summer, and they are purposefully preparing for the 2025 Asian Cup. We were just training, and we got together two weeks ago after a long break. Some of the guys ended their season back in April, others in May.

— You played a great game, scoring 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. One of the best games for the national team, or was the impression blurred by an insulting defeat?

— I would not say that one of the best. It is still far from optimal conditions. As for the defeat, it didn't upset me much. One long throw solved everything, but we missed a lot of layups. I think we didn't score about 10 points on an empty ring. If they had scored, they would have won the match without going to the end.

— Did Iran surprise you with something, or did they play about the same way as you scouted them?

— The opponents played the way we thought they would. They showed fast basketball, ran into fast breakthroughs. Sometimes they had crazy attacks when they scored heavy shots. The defense changed tactics a bit, but we weren't surprised by this.

— 20-year-old Mohammad Amini scored the decisive three-pointer, overall he looked very good. Wouldn't you get lost in the VTB League?

— It's hard to answer. We need him to play in our league for at least one or two months, and then it would be possible to draw conclusions. I don't really remember him from the game, but he scored the decisive shot. That's a fact.

— In the end, you also scored a long shot. Is this the first "three" for the national team?

— He scored for the Italian national team when he was called up to the national team for the first time in the 2023 World Cup qualification. So this is the second three-pointer.

— What do you expect from the second game against Iran on July 30? What needs to be fixed in order to win confidently?

— Fix minor mistakes, remove unnecessary losses. To act more coolly, to improve the implementation of simple throws, and we will calmly win.

— Zoran Lukic has called up a lot of young players for these training camps. Who would you single out?

— I think I'll name Ilyukha Frolov. He looked good with Iran. He confidently took rebounds, scored three goals, could have had one more, but did not throw, being alone on the perimeter. He shows a lot of desire in training. It is clear that he is well trained at the age of 17. I think he's got everything ahead of him.

"There has never been such a transfer that would surprise"

— How did you spend the off-season?

— I had a little rest after the end of the season, spent time with my family. Then I started to bring myself to the national team so that my body was physically ready for the loads. After training camp with the national team, there will be a short break, and we will start preparing for the season with CSKA.

— How would you rate your club's acquisitions in the off-season? Antonius Cleveland and Alexander Chadov joined the Army, while Samson Ruzhentsev returned from loan.

— Cleveland and Chadov are good reinforcements. I also take Samsonov's return positively. At the same time, I would like to note that basketball at CSKA is still based on discipline. Each player knows his role in the team, and does not pull the blanket over himself. That's why we've been successful for two seasons in a row, winning the VTB League.

— Has the team become even stronger?

— CSKA always has a great squad. Only strong players get here.

— Do you follow the strengthening of competitors? Was there a transfer that surprised you?

— I'm watching who's signing who. But there has never been such a transfer that would surprise. Just like last offseason, when CSKA agreed with Alexa Avramovich, and Zenit agreed with Dwayne Bacon. These are really transitions with the prefix "top" (both players changed Russia to BC Dubai this summer. — Ed.). I haven't seen anything like this this season.

— Do you think next season will be even more competitive?

— Let's see how it will be in practice. But I can say that it wasn't easy for us in the last championship either. We could compete not only with teams from the top 4. Each club could create problems for us in a single game.

— Have you watched the NBA draft this year? What do you think about the prospects of Egor Demin and Vlad Goldin in their new teams?

— I didn't watch the draft. I watched the highlights of the guys in the Summer League, they look good. I think they have a future in the NBA. We will observe and rejoice at their success.

— In your opinion, if the national team went to Eurobasket 2025, what would be the optimal top five?

— I don't remember who finished their career in the national team and who didn't. If I had a list in front of my eyes, I could have named it. Plus, it's always important to understand who could come and who couldn't.

— Is it hard to watch such tournaments, considering the ban of our national team?

— No, it's not hard. You're still watching games, interesting basketball. You emphasize something for yourself, you even take something into your arsenal. Of course, I would like to participate in major tournaments at the national team level, but so far there is no such opportunity.

— Who do you consider the Eurobasket's favorite?

— There are many strong teams among the top national teams, so it's difficult to single out one favorite. I will be rooting for Serbia and our brother Alex [Avramovich].