Serge Ibaka confirms he won't return during series vs. Spurs
According to injured power forward Serge Ibaka, Serge Ibaka ain't walking through that door for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Not during the Western Conference finals, anyway.
Sidelined with a Grade 2 strain of the plantaris in his left calf, Ibaka was originally ruled out for the remainder of the postseason. Some, however, including the San Antonio Spurs, speculated that this was a smokescreen from the Thunder, and that Ibaka could return earlier than they were letting on.
That was fueled further on Tuesday, when reports indicated that Ibaka was aiming to return early, or at least push himself as hard as he could in an attempt to do so.
On Wednesday, ahead of Game 2 of the series, Thunder coach Scott Brooks poured water on that idea:
Scott Brooks on Ibaka: "He's not coming back. Nothing has changed. And it's no reason to keep bringing this up. He's not coming back."
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) May 21, 2014
Also pouring cold water on it was Ibaka himself, who wrote on his personal blog: "I am not able to play in the Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs," in a message thanking fans for the support.
If the Thunder are playing mind-games, they're going all the way in doing so.
[Dap PBT]