Scott Brooks Regrets Benching Serge Ibaka in Game 1

OKC Thunder head coach Scott Brooks did something rare for a coach in the middle of a Playoff battle: he admitted that he made a tactical error. Brooks told the assembled media that he screwed up when he had Serge Ibaka riding pine in the fourth quarter of the Game 1 WCF loss to the San Antonio Spurs. From the Express-News: “Brooks can still beat the Spurs, and he would be rewarded for that. He’s the rare coach in a conference finals without a contract for next season; advance to the Finals, and he likely will get a rich one. But, before practice Monday, he was just the next round’s version of Vinny Del Negro. As Sam Presti sat at midcourt, the boss of all he could see, Brooks stood in a media swarm trying to explain why he benched Serge Ibaka in the fourth quarter on Sunday. ‘Every decision you make, if it doesn’t work out, you always say, ‘Why did you do that?’ Brooks said. ‘I’m with you on that. I wish I would have played Serge last night.'”