Locke gave the Heat a 2-1 lead when he scored

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The San Antonio Spurs never believed Serge Ibaka was out for the Western Conference finals, even after the Thunder said they expected him to miss the rest of the playoffs with a calf injury. Looks like the Spurs might have been on to something. The Thunder said Friday that their defensive standout now is day-to-day after his strained left calf showed improved movement and stability and a significant decrease in swelling. The Thunder have missed Ibaka badly as San Antonio has raced to a 2-0 lead in the series, and his possible return gives the Thunder hope as they prepare for Game 3 on Sunday in Oklahoma City. "His progress in the last several days has been surprising," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said. "I dont think any of us thought wed be standing here talking about this. Were grateful that we are." Well, maybe no one with the Thunder expected it. The Spurs certainly did. "We knew he would be back, and thats good," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Nobody would wish that on anybody to miss a playoff. Weve had guys miss playoffs before. Its obviously a downer. If he gets back in -- and Im sure he will, as Ive said from the beginning -- I think its great." Ibaka was injured in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers, a Western Conference semifinals series-clinching win on May 15. He is averaging 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the playoffs while shooting 62 per cent from the field. Presti did not say if Ibaka would be available for Game 3, just that he could not be ruled out. Presti said he felt it best to be forthcoming with the change in the situation. "It would be convenient to not provide the information, and if he were ever healthy enough to play in a game, to release that an hour before the game," he said. "But in this case, we dont think that was the way to handle it, because previously, we had deemed him out. And we cant deem him out." Ibaka, a 6-foot-10 forward, led the league in blocked shots during the regular season and erased many of Oklahoma Citys defensive mistakes. Without having to deal with Oklahoma Citys primary rim protector, San Antonio scored 66 points in the paint on 67 per cent shooting in a 122-105 win in Game 1. The Spurs followed up with 54 points in the paint on 66 per cent shooting in a 112-77 blowout in Game 2. Ibaka also provides balance for Oklahoma Citys offence with his mid-range jumper and an ability to finish close to the hoop when defences focus on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. "Big difference," Spurs guard Danny Green said. "Obviously, one of the best defensive players in the league. Alters everything around the basket, rebounds, and also, of course, he can knock down shots. So youve got to respect him. Hopefully, if he does come back hes not as fresh, hes a little rusty." San Antonio said it will not make adjustments based on the news. "Were going to try to do the same thing," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "Its not like were going to change the game plan for him. For sure, hes going to give them another big body that can be a presence in the paint, block shots and make some jumpers, but our idea will be the same." Presti said Oklahoma Citys medical staff would like to see Ibaka go through game-like conditions before allowing him to return. So far, he has done low-impact training -- light drills and light shooting. Conditioning could be an issue and even if he returns its unclear how much he would play. "Were still focusing on trying to beat the Spurs without him playing," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "That has not changed. I know hes listed as day-to-day, but he is out until Im told differently." Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins said Ibaka could not have erased all the defensive mistakes the Thunder made in Game 2. The Spurs shot 50 per cent from the field and made 9 of 23 3-pointers. "Hes a key guy, but at the end of the day, we shouldnt be getting beat this bad," Perkins said. "In my opinion, even if we would have Serge the last game, the way we played, we still would have lost." Fake Air Max 97 Plus . Some teams got significantly better, some teams divested themselves of talent and some teams had quiet afternoons, keeping the status quo. Air Max 97 Off White For Sale . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. http://www.outletairmax97.com/nike-air-v...lic-gold.html.C. - NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick headlines this years electees into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Air Max 97/1 For Sale . Vonn punctuated her near-perfect season in perfect fashion Friday, earning her fourth overall World Cup title with a dominating giant slalom victory. Air Max 97 Off White Wolf Grey Menta . Unfortunately for Toronto, that surge was too much to handle as the Stars scored six straight goals and ended the Marlies season with a 6-2 victory on Tuesday. Toronto had built a 2-0 lead on goals by Frazer McLaren and Peter Holland, but Texas charged back with a wild rally late in the second period to spark its trip to the Calder Cup final.TORONTO - Josh Leivo scored a power-play goal late in the third period to lift the Toronto Marlies to a 3-2 win over the Abbotsford Heat on Sunday afternoon. With Abbotsford centre Max Reinhart off after being handed a boarding major and game misconduct with less than five minutes to play, Leivo one-timed the puck from the left faceoff circle past Heat goalie Joni Ortio at 17:34. Jerry DAmigo and Carter Ashton also scored for the Marlies, who won for the fourth time in five games to improve to 38-20-5. Peter Holland chipped in with a pair of assists in front of 4,992 fans at Ricoh Coliseum. The game was a special-teams battle with every goal coming on the power play. Toronto was 3-for-6 with the man advantage while Abbotsford went 2-for-8. Zachery Davies, with his first career American Hockey League goal, and Corey Locke scored for the Heat, who fell to 35-24-7.dddddddddddd. Marlies goalie Garrett Sparks made 31 saves for the victory, while Ortio stopped 26 of 29 shots in a losing effort. The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and 2-2 through 40 minutes. DAmigo opened the scoring with a 5-on-3 power-play goal early in the first period. He finished off a three-way passing play at 3:36. Davies, who played most of his first pro season in the ECHL, tied it up for the Heat when he scored after a goalmouth scramble at 10:12. Locke gave the Heat a 2-1 lead when he scored on a 5-on-3 power play at 9:38 of the second period. Ashton tied it up with his 14th goal in 17 AHL games this season, one-timing a Holland pass in the slot past Ortio at 13:42. The Marlies host the Rochester Americans on Tuesday while the Heat will visit the Utica Comets on Friday. ' ' '