Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka's left calf injury was updated to "day-to-day," leading to the possibility he could return for the 2014 NBA Western Conference finals. Ibaka could play as early as Sunday for Game 3 when Oklahoma City hosts the San Antonio Spurs, ESPN reports.
Ibaka suffered a Grade 2 strain of the plantaris in Game 6 of the conference semifinal series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Because of the high risk of re-injury associated with Ibaka's calf strain, the Thunder initially ruled him out for the remainder of the postseason.
That may not be the case anymore, however. Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced on Friday the swelling in Ibaka's calf had subsided enough to give Ibaka a chance of returning at some point in the series.
"We're surprised that we're here, although grateful that he's made enough progress to say he's not ruled out," Presti said Friday, via ESPN. "I think it's important, when you look at this, to recognize that we're not saying that he's playing, but what we're really trying to indicate is that the information is telling us that we can't rule him out. ...
"A big part of this is the swelling in his calf has reduced incredibly rapidly, more so than any of us could've expected or our medical staff could've projected. And as a result of that he's demonstrating a function level and a stability level that's better than where we thought we would be."
Ibaka's return could come as early as Sunday's Game 3, according to ESPN.
"He'll go through a battery of tests such as gamelike conditions, conditioning, and a lot of that is how he feels the following morning and what he's able to tolerate," said Presti, who ruled Ibaka as day-to-day.
Ibaka, the league's leader in blocked shots, is Oklahoma City's third best scoring option. The Thunder have missed his presence on the court in their two blowout losses to San Antonio.
