The return of Serge Ibaka was the big headline heading into Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, and it was Ibaka who set the tone early by making his first four shots as the Thunder took care of business at home against the Spurs.
The team stats tell a very troubling story for San Antonio, who got dominated in pretty much every aspect of the game. They were grossly outshot from the field (.457 for OKC to .396), made far fewer trips to the free throw line (31 to 16), and got crushed on the boards (52 to 36).
Newly-minted starter Reggie Jackson had a solid 15 points, four rebounds, and five assists to go with the usual 25 points from Kevin Durant and 26 from Russell Westbrook, helping the Thunder find the consistent offense they sorely lacked in Game 2.
The Spurs didn’t do much of anything well offensively; Tony Parker (4-for-13), Danny Green (3-for-12), and Kawhi Leonard (4-for-11) suffered through poor shooting nights, and as a result San Antonio was never really able to find their groove.
Game 4 will be Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, with the Thunder looking to emulate their 2012 Western Conference Finals and continue their comeback from a 2-0 series deficit.
