Ivan Viktorov:
The Game Against CSKA Was Like A Dream

19-year-old Nizhny Novgorod guard Ivan Viktorov enjoyed a breakout performance in the win over CSKA on Sunday, scoring 19 points on 5-6 shooting from the field.

In an exclusive interview with VTB-League.com, he shared his emotions from the win, talked about Ainars Bagatskis's game plan, named his sports idols and tried to explain the Nizhny Novgorod phenomenon.

- What was the game plan from Ainars Bagatskis before such an important game?
- During practice, he always asks me to shoot more and drive to the basket, if I have an opportunity. Before this game, he didn't say anything to me. I didn't even expect I'd get in the game early when the score was tied.

- You probably didn't think you'd end up leading Nizhny in scoring...
- First of all, I have to thank my teammates. A lot depends on them. They got me the ball when I was open. All of my shots were open. The guys played a bigger role. They always pump me up during practice. That gives me confidence and when we get out on the court, you feel like you're part of the squad.

- A lot of people said you were the X-factor in the game. Do you agree?
- I still don't really comprehend what happened. I woke up at noon today. I slept poorly all night; I felt like I had dreamed everything up. The game against CSKA, especially a game like that, feels like a dream. I don't know if I was the X-factor. I just did my job.

- How did you end up at Nizhny Novgorod?
- I played for Spartak St. Petersburg, but the team ran into financial trouble and I had to find a new team. I left for the Russian national youth team: that's when I got a call from my agent. He said that Nizhny was interested. I had one goal: make the team. I'm thankful to the coaches. They saw potential in me and gave me a chance.

- So how did you decide to become a basketball player?
- That was more my parent's choice. They were athletes, swimmers, actually. At first, I went to the pool, but I didn't really like it and we decided to switch to basketball. My first coach gets all the credit. I liked practices and the workouts. The games were unbelievable. The competitiveness that you get in basketball and the desire to win was really fun for me.

- Do you have any idols?
- I try to learn something from everybody, but as far as the NBA, I'm a Dwyane Wade fan. When it comes to European players, I like Evgeny Voronov. I like how he plays on defense and the aggressiveness he has on the court. I like players that put defense first. I also try to build my game on aggressive defense and running the fast break.

- What's the secret to Nizhny Novgorod's success? The team changes every summer, but is always in contention for a title.
- It's the team chemistry. Last season, when I joined Nizhny Novgorod, I was amazed by the unity inside the team, which you could sense everywhere. It's nice to play alongside teammates like that. They're always encouraging; we're like a well-oiled machine. There are no divisions between foreigners and Russians. We're all friends. It's fun to play on a team like that. I don't know what else to say. I think that's the secret.

- Who are you closest to on the team?
- Ilya Popov. We both joined the team from Spartak. But everybody on the team is friendly. We hang out a lot outside of practice.

- Nizhny plays another contender next week: Khimki. How are you going to prepare?
- Last season, I would get motivated and prepared for each opponent, which just made me more nervous. Now I try not to focus too much on it so I don't get too worked up. I won't do anything special to prepare, but I'll be ready to go out and help the team.