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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Serge Ibaka pointed to the sky, soaking in the cheers from the adoring home crowd moments before coming out of a game that just a few days earlier, he never imagined he could play. He scored 15 points in a dramatic return from what was thought to be a season-ending left calf strain, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 106-97 on Sunday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. Ibaka started after missing the first two games of the series. The Thunder originally said he would miss the rest of the playoffs, but changed course Friday. His presence helped the Thunder dominate and cut the Spurs lead in the series to 2-1. Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks took Ibaka out with 3:17 remaining and the Thunder ahead by 20. "When you talk about a teammate, thats everything you want in a teammate," Thunder forward Kevin Durant said. "I gained so much more respect for Serge for sacrificing himself for the team. Regardless of what happened tonight, thats something you want beside you." Ibaka made six of seven shots and was a threat that gave Durant and Russell Westbrook relief. Westbrook had 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Durant added 25 points and 10 rebounds. On defence, Ibaka was a strong physical presence who blocked and altered shots and used his still formidable mobility to close out on shooters. He had seven rebounds, four blocks and a seemingly endless amount of energy. "Serge has put so much work in throughout the season that missing a couple of days didnt hurt him," Westbrook said. "Tonight, he jumped right back into where he was." Manu Ginobili scored 23 points and Tim Duncan added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Spurs. Game 4 is Tuesday night at Oklahoma City. The Thunder outrebounded the Spurs 52-36 after losing the battle of the boards in the first two games. San Antonio, which shot at least 50 per cent in the first two games, shot just 40 per cent on Sunday night. The first two games looked like a layup drill for the Spurs. This time, they were forced to reset numerous times. The passes were not as quick or as easy. "I was very disappointed that we didnt come out with more of a foot in the neck sort of attitude," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "They killed us on the boards, they beat us in 50-50 balls and thats very disappointing to me." San Antonio won Game 2 112-77, leaving the Thunder humiliated. "I knew that we were a better team than losing by 30," Brooks said. "Its not us. It was us that night, but were a much better team than that. I have a lot of respect for San Antonio, but theyre not that much better than us." Things were different from the start with Ibakas return. Brooks also inserted speedy Reggie Jackson into the starting lineup in Thabo Sefoloshas place. Jackson finished with 15 points. "We bounced back tonight. We always talk about that bounce-back ability and we had that tonight," Brooks said. The crowd roared when Ibakas name was announced during pregame introductions, and it got even louder when he started playing. He had eight points, three rebounds and two blocks in just over six minutes of play in the first quarter. Twice in the final minute of the first half, Ginobili hit 3-pointers, and both times, Westbrook answered with a 3-pointer. The last one, with 0.6 seconds left, gave the Thunder a 57-53 lead. Oklahoma City shot 56 per cent in the first half but turned the ball over 12 times. Ginobili had 20 points and made 5 of 7 3-pointers before the break to keep the Spurs close. Oklahoma City extended its lead to 83-76 at the end of the third quarter. A runner by Durant, then a 3-pointer by Caron Butler pushed the Thunder lead to 90-76 with just over 10 minutes to play. "Hopefully we realize that if were not intense, not very sharp and dont hustle like crazy, were not going to win here," Ginobili said. "They showed us reality. Hopefully we react in game four and play a much better game." Notes: Thunder C Kendrick Perkins picked up his third foul eight minutes into the game. He played just 13 minutes and finished with four points and three rebounds. Backup centre Steven Adams, a rookie, had seven points and nine rebounds. ... Thunder G Derek Fisher took a hit and was bleeding from the top of his head in the first quarter. He got six stitches. ... The Thunder shot 63 per cent from the field in the first quarter but trailed 29-28 at the end of the period. ... Ginobili scored just three points in the second half. Pierre Turgeon Jersey . -- D. J. Williams finally has his packing strategy down. Casey Mittelstadt Jersey . 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"Youzhny is a good player," Ferrer said.MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens have traded veteran forward Daniel Briere to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau and a fifth-round pick in 2015 draft. The 36-year-old Briere, who is heading into the final year of his contract, recorded 13 goals and 12 assists in 69 games with the Canadiens last season. Parenteau, 31, had 14 goals and 19 assists with Colorado. The Boucherville, Que., native was selected 264th overall by the Anaheim Ducks at the 2001 NHL draft. Prior to joining the Avalanche, Parenteau suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and New York Islanders. Briere, who has also played for Phoenix, Buffalo, and Philadelphia, joined the Canadiens as a free agent on July 4, 2013. "I think for one year it was a great experience," Briere said of his time in Montreal. "What we did in the playoffs was pretty amazing. This is what Ill remember the most. I think sometimes certain coaches like certain players. I dont think it was anything personal. But my responsibilities that I had probably were a little lower than I had expected coming in. Thats why Im looking forward to a new chance in Colorado.dddddddddddd" Briere said it was difficult to watch from the sidelines as a healthy scratch. "Its tough watching your teammates going out there and sacrificing their body while you have to just watch," he said in an interview. "But I kept saying to myself good things are going to happen, just be a good team player. And I feel in a sense its a little bit of whats happening today." Parenteau said he happy to be returning to his home province. "I think Im at a stage of my career where Im old enough to deal with all the pressure that comes with it," he told a conference call. "Its a pretty big deal for a kid, Im pretty much playing in my hometown. . . Its a huge deal for me, my family, everyone that surrounds me." He also thinks hes a good fit in Montreal. "Im pretty good friends with Brandon Prust and Dale Weise and David Desharnais," he said. "Im not coming into a locker-room that I dont know anybody, so that makes it even more exciting for myself. Its a great challenge, its a great opportunity and Im going to make the best out of it." ' ' '