INTERVIEW: Jenkins - "Euroleague is great, but ABA League is the most important competition for me"

Crvena zvezda mts player Charles Jenkins gave an interview for the ABA League website in front of Game 3 of the semifinal series against Budućnost VOLI.

Read the full interview with Charles Jenkins.

On Tuesday evening Crvena zvezda mts will play the decisive Game 3 against Budućnost VOLI in the ABA League Semi-Finals, while only couple of days later you will play the key game in your Euroleague campaign. Would you say that the next week is the most important week for you so far in this season?

"Yeah, for sure. Still, I think that our next game in ABA League is the most important game for us in this period. It is 'do or die' basically. Both teams took advantage of the home court, so it has all come to this one game. We are going to come out and do the best thing defensively to try to get the win. For me, the ABA League Playoffs is the most important competition in this season. You know, Euroleague is great, we made a good ambience around the club with our Euroleague play, but the ABA League Playoffs is very important to us in order to go forward."

What do you need to change as a team in comparison to that last game in Podgorica?

"They came really aggressive, while we found ourselves in a hole and could not get out of it. We fought back, but they had a lot of confidence. So, this time we have to do our job, to do what we've been doing throughout the season and that's rely on our defense, while everything else will take care of itself."

Crvena zvezda mts will play Game 3 against Budućnost VOLI in Belgrade, in front of home fans. How big advantage will that be for your team?

"Since I came here, it has always been a goal for us to try to play well during the regular season and to get the home court advantage for the Playoffs. That is big and we are excited to be in front of our home fans."

What would be your message to the fans in front of Game 3?

"Just to be supportive as they have been during the whole season. Our fans are great, they always make an environment which is really tough to play for the visitors. Our job is to come out and to create the exact same energy that the fans have. That is playing hard, as we have always done."

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Čarls Dženkins - "Evroliga je super, ali za mene je ABA liga najvažnije takmičenje"

Čarls Dženkins, igrač Crvene zvezde mts, dao je intervju za sajt ABA lige pred odlučujuću, treću utakmicu polufinalne serije protiv Budućnosti VOLI.

Pročitajte ceo intervju sa Čarlsom Dženkinsom.

U utorak uveče Crvena zvezda mts će igrati odlučujuću utakmicu u polufinalu ABA lige protiv Budućnosti VOLI, a samo nekoliko dana kasnije vaš tim očekuje i ključna utakmica u Evroligi. Da li biste rekli da je sledeća nedelja najvažnija nedelja za vas u ovoj sezoni?

"Da, definitivno je tako. Verujem da je naša sledeća utakmica u ABA ligi najvažnija utakmica za nas u ovom periodu. U suštini to je 'pobedi ili idi kući' situacija. Obe ekipe su iskoristile prednost domaćeg terena do sada u seriji, tako da se sve svelo na ovu utakmicu. Naš cilj je da izadjemo na teren, da odigramo najbolje što možemo u odbrani i da pokušamo da pobedimo. Za mene je plej-of ABA lige najvažnije takmičenje u sezoni. Znate, Evroliga je super, napravili smo odličan ambijent oko kluba dobrim igrama u Evroligi, ali ABA plej-of je mnogo bitan kako bismo nastavili da idemo napred."

Šta je potrebno da promenite kao tim u odnosu na prethodnu utakmicu koju ste odigrali protiv Budućnosti u Podgorici?

"Oni su tada igrali veoma agresivno, dok smo mi upali u rupu i nismo nikako uspevali da izadjemo iz nje. Pokušali smo da uzvratimo, borili smo se, ali su oni bili u dobrom momentumu i puni samopouzdanja. Tako da ovoga puta moramo da uradimo ono što smo radili tokom čitave sezone, a to je da se oslonimo na našu odbranu, a ostale stvari će već doći na svoje mesto."

Treća utakmica polufinalne serije će biti odigrana u Beogradu, pred vašim navijačima. Koliko je to velika prednost za Crvenu zvezdu mts?

"Od kada sam došao ovde, naš cilj je uvek bio da igramo dobro u ligaškom delu sezone kako bismo imali prednost domaćeg terena u plej-ofu. To je velika stvar i uzbudjeni smo što ćemo igrati pred našim navijačima."

Koja bi bila vaša poruka navijačima pred utakmicu u utorak?

"Samo neka nas podržavaju kao što su to činili tokom cele sezone. Naši navijači su sjani, uvek naprave atmosferu u kojoj je protivniku vrlo teško da igra. Naš posao je da izadjemo na teren sa istom takvom energijom kao što će biti na tribinama. A to znači da moramo da igramo čvrsto, kao što smo to uvek radili."