"After a five-game playoff series last year, two preseason games to start this season and two more early regular season contests against the Dallas Mavericks, forward Serge Ibaka on Wednesday night finally figured out how he could make an impact against the defending NBA champions.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks concurred.

With Ibaka spending most of his time guarding the center position rather than deadly Mavs scorer Dirk Nowitzki, the Thunder's defense reverted to its dominant ways in a 95-86 win over Dallas inside the American Airlines Center.

Ibaka blocked a career-high 10 shots — matching the amount the Mavs registered as a team — while adding 11 rebounds to lift the Thunder to 17-4 and turn the team's embarrassing effort two nights earlier against the Los Angeles Clippers into a distant memory."