NBA News: Serge Ibaka Compounds Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Woes

The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered another massive blow to their playoff chances after receiving news that starting power forward Serge Ibaka will be sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury. The 25-year-old native of the Republic of Congo will be seeing a knee specialist to determine the severity of the problem that has kept him out of the last two games.

Ibaka has been experiencing soreness in his knee but the team has been mum whether he will likely need potentially season-ending surgery which was first reported by ESPN. If ever he will need one, it is expected that the remedy will be a minor procedure but that would still mean that he will miss significant time which will further dampen the chances of the team which is in neck to neck battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the competitive Western Conference with the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Thunder currently holds a half-game lead over the Pelicans but the team led by franchise player Anthony Davis currently holds the tie-breaker after winning three of the four meetings this season. Ibaka is essential to the team's succes because of his developed three point game, a big reason why the team has been cautious in declaring him shelved for the reast of the year. Neverthe less, the team said in an official statement that is has already sent its ward to a specialist to determine the extent of the ailment.

"As we continue to monitor and evaluate the soreness in Serge's knee, in consultation with his representation, we decided the next best step is to have him travel to New York to see a specialist," a team spokesman told ESPN. "We will provide an update as appropriate."

The Thunder are in the midst of its worst season health-wise. The team already lost starting point guard and 2015 NBA All-Star Most Valuable Player, or MVP, Russell Westbrook the start of the season after suffering broken hand in the just the third game of the year. Reigning MVP Kevin Durant has been in and out of the line-up because of a troublesome foot that has forced him to miss a big chunk of the season. Even starting centre Steven Adams has been out lately after undergoing surgery on his broken hand.

With the potential loss of Spanish national player Ibaka, the Thunder would have to rely more on its new acquisitions. Adams and former Utah Jazz draft pick Enes Kanter have been performing well down low and have been making a new name for themselves as the “Bruise Brothers.” The development of the young big men is essential to the team’s success as it already gave up veteran centre Kendrick Perkins and will have to look to replace Ibaka’s precious contributions of late which hover at 14 points, 8 rebounds, and the spacing he provides with his outside sniping.

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