Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka believed he would return this postseason despite a left calf injury, and he might have been correct.
The Thunder said last week that Ibaka would miss the remainder of the playoffs because of the injury, but updated his status on Friday and now consider him day-to-day.
"The abundance of blood and therefore swelling in Serge's calf has reduced substantially and unexpectedly, allowing a level of movement and stability not thought possible after the initial diagnosis," said Thunder general manager Sam Presti in a statement Friday. "Based on both imaging and physical exam, the considerable swelling in the calf indicated the likelihood of a certain degree of injury, and that established the original time frame for recovery."
Ibaka stated earlier this week that he thought he could return if the Thunder advanced past San Antonio in the Western Conference finals to reach the NBA Finals, but it now could be sooner.
"At present, Serge has yet to complete a full basketball workout, but is walking and doing light basketball drills," Presti added. "With this new information, and in an effort to keep his status current, we are now listing him as day-to-day with the understanding that there is a possibility for him to play in this series."
The Thunder dropped the first two games in the best-of-seven set in San Antonio and will host Game 3 on Sunday.
Ibaka was hurt during the series-clinching win over the Los Angeles Clippers last Thursday in the Western Conference semifinals.
The 24-year-old big man is averaging 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds in this year's playoffs. He averaged a career-high 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds during the regular season.
[SportsNetwork.com]
