OKLAHOMA CITY-- Habang tumatagal ay gumaganda ang kondisyon ni Serge Ibaka.
Sinabi ng Thunder forward na bumubuti na ang kanyang strained left calf injury at inaasahang makakalaro nitong Martes sa Game 4 ng kanilang Western Conference finals ng San Antonio Spurs.
Nagbalik si Ibaka mula sa sinasabing season-ending injury para maglaro ng 30 minuto sa Game 3 laban sa San Antonio. Umiskor siya ng 15 points at nagtala ng 7 rebounds at 4 blocks para tulungan ang Oklahoma City na talunin ang Spurs, 106-97 noong Linggo at makadikit sa 1-2 sa kanilang serye.
“It was kind of hard a little bit with my feet,’’ sabi ni Ibaka. “I was using more my right foot than left foot. I could not do too much last night. After we saw the video, I felt like I was slow.’’
Kung nagbabalik na sa kanyang dating porma si Ibaka, ito ay malaking problema para sa San Antonio.
Naipanalo ng Spurs ang unang dalawang laro sa pinagsamang 52 points, ngunit sa paglalaro ni Ibaka ay dinomina ng Thunder ang Game 3 at lumamang ng 20 points sa huling tatlong minuto ng laro.
“I love what he did,’’ ani Thunder coach Scott Brooks kay Ibaka. “I love the determination that he played with. That’s something that he’s done all along. That was a great, great game by him. He impacted the game both ends of the floor.’’
Hindi iniisip ni Ibaka kung magkaroon uli siya ng injury.
“When we sign here in the NBA, we sign on everything, man,’’ wika ni Ibaka. “At the end of the day, no matter what happened last night ... I signed for this.’’