What a difference one man makes.

In game one, the San Antonio Spurs scored 122 points and 66 of those points were in the paint. Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard were driving to the basket consistently getting dunks and layups at will. In game two, the Spurs scored 112 points and continued to expose the Thunder's front court directly. Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter continued to have their way at the rim with rebounds and easy baskets as nobody on the Thunder would contest them.

Things changed drastically in game three. Serge Ibaka returned and saw playing time for the first time since the second round, when he faced the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ibaka's presence was felt immediately as he would hit his first five shots of the game, setting the tone. Throughout the game, Ibaka would leave and re-enter to get the proper medical treatment on his injured calf. In game three, Ibaka played 30 minutes, and he made all 30 of those count to the fullest. Ibaka has led the entire NBA in blocks two of the last four seasons for a reason. In game three, Ibaka had four blocks, and the entire Spurs team had just three.

With Ibaka on the floor, everyone's job becomes easier. The Thunder don't need to double team Tony Parker, and the Duncan-Splitter combination has a very hard time with Ibaka. In game three, Duncan and Splitter combined for just 20 points and one block.

Another big factor is the free throws. In game three, the Thunder shot nearly twice the amount of free throws as the Spurs did, 31-16. Parker and coach Gregg Popovich are not on the same page right now in this series. In game two, Parker was benched for dribbling too much and not distributing the ball often enough. Russell Westbrook has proven time and time again to be a great defender against Parker. A good note for the Spurs, even after their defeat, is Manu Ginóbili is playing with a vengeance. The 36-year-old Argentine scored 20 points in the first half in game two.

This a scary time for the Spurs because they've been here before. In the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the Spurs were up 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals only to see their lead evaporate in an instant. The Thunder won the next four consecutive games to advance to the NBA Finals. Granted, that team did have James Harden who played terrific off the bench -- they also had Serge Ibaka.

Game four will be played Tuesday night in Oklahoma City at 9 p.m. EST and can be seen on TNT.

For up-to-date sports news, scores, and more, follow the Latin Post Sports on Twitter.

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