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Thunder forward Serge Ibaka to miss rest of postseason with calf injury

Serge Ibaka injured his calf in the Thunder's Game 6 win over the Clippers. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Serge Ibaka injured his calf in the Thunder's Game 6 win over the Clippers. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Thunder forward Serge Ibaka will miss the remainder of the playoffs due to a left calf injury, the team announced Friday.

Ibaka left the Thunder's deciding Game 6  against the Clippers with 7:24 remaining in the third quarter on Thursday. An MRI revealed the injury that will force the Thunder to begin their best-of-7 Western Conference final series against the Spurs without the NBA's top shot blocker.

Ibaka was averaging 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.23 blocks in 13 postseason games, after career-highs of 15.1 points and 8.8 rebounds during the regular season.

The Thunder's Sam Presti spoke on behalf of the team:

“We are obviously disappointed for Serge, as he is a tremendous competitor, and we know how badly he wants to be on the court with his teammates,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. “At this point it is important that our team directs its concentration and energy towards preparation and execution for our upcoming series. As with all teams, our group has confronted different challenges. It is our collective experience that we will call on to ensure that we play to our capabilities.”