Serge Ibaka injury update: Game-time decision for Thunder start

The Associated Press

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Serge Ibaka injury update: Game-time decision for Thunder start image

Serge Ibaka could play in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals after taking part in the Oklahoma City Thunder's shootaround.

Ibaka has missed the first two games of the NBA series against the San Antonio Spurs with a left calf injury. The Thunder had said he likely would miss the rest of the playoffs, but changed course Friday.

Ibaka said Sunday morning he will decide later in the day whether he can play Sunday night.

With Ibaka, the league's leading shot blocker, the Thunder was one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Without him, the Spurs shot at least 50 percent in the first two games of the series and won them by a combined 52 points.

Game 3 tips off at 8:30 ET tonight.

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Ibaka, a 6-10 power forward, strained his left calf in the previous playoff series. His presence is needed, even if he is less than fully healthy. Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Perry Jones have struggled against the Spurs' big men. Kevin Durant, normally a small forward, has played power forward because of Ibaka's absence, and Durant's relative lack of physical strength and unfamiliarity with playing post defense has been exploited.

The Spurs prepared all along as though he would return.

"It gives them another hell of a player," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "but we are who we are and we've got to be who we are. We can't change what we do."

Even if Ibaka returns, it will not fully solve Oklahoma City's problems defending the perimeter. San Antonio made 18-of-40 3-pointers in the series and guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are slashing into the paint with stunning frequency, often scoring or finding their teammates for open shots.

The Thunder said it starts with basics.

"It's just an individual effort," Perkins said. "Got to put it in your mind that you want to stop the guy in front of you, and that's it. Backside got to be ready. But the thing is when they penetrate, that's what opens those threes. We'll do a better job of keeping the ball in front of us, but we've just got to be individual and you've got to want the match up."

To be fair, San Antonio shares the ball like no one else. The Spurs led the league with 25.4 assists per game during the regular season. That average is up to 27.5 against Oklahoma City. Parker and Ginobili generate many of the assists, but many others come from simple ball movement.

"We don't have a Durant," Ginobili said. "We don't have a Kobe (Bryant) or LeBron (James) that can go one against one and finish every single time. We need to pass the ball to find open teammates, and that's what we do, and that's what we've been doing. We all feel proud about it. We know when we have 25 assists or 30, we are much better and we try to do that every time."

The Spurs are off to a good start, but experience tells them they won't have as easy a time in Oklahoma City. And in 2012, Oklahoma City fell behind San Antonio 2-0 in the Western Conference finals before winning the series 4-2.

"We've got to know that in their arena it's going to be different," Ginobili said. "They're going to be way more aggressive, they're going to be pushed by their fans. We just won two games. They are going to make more shots, they are going to attack harder, they are going to go to the free-throw line more.So, there are a lot of things that they can do much better and we're not going to make as many shots."

The Associated Press