Thunder-Spurs: Scott Brooks turns to Thabo Sefolosha, and he delivers with Swiss Ease

If you're going to get beat, get beat with your best.

Thabo is the Thunder's best defender, and all hands on deck are needed against this San Antonio offense.

The Thunder did not get beat. Thabo played the game of his life, Parker fell gently back to Earth and the Thunder turned Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals into a Swiss Ease. The Thunder rolled the Spurs 102-82 Thursday night and now this is a series again.

Fourteen seconds into the game, Thabo kicked the ball. He spent the next 3 1/2 quarters kicking San Antonio.

Before Game 3 was three minutes old, the Switzerland native had intercepted two Tim Duncan passes, grabbed a Boris Diaw fumble and swiped the ball from Parker.

The four steals led to an 8-0 Thunder lead, and energized Thabo, who suddenly made like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and jacked up shots all night long.

Sefolosha put up 16 shots — the most he's ever launched wearing Oklahoma City colors; his season-high had been nine — and scored 19 points, matching his high as a Thunder. Thabo's shot total was smack in the middle of Durant (17) and Westbrook (15).

“He was phenomenal tonight,” said Kevin Durant, with 22 points the lone Boomer to outscore Thabo. “He was so active on the defensive end. He got a lot of deflections and got us some easy points in transition.”

Parker had carved up the Thunder in Game 2 in San Antonio, with 34 points and few misses. Over the previous five quarters, the Spurs had shot 60.2 percent from the field.

With the Thunder defense in tatters, Brooks turned to Thabo. Parker wasn't rendered useless, but the Spurs' pick-and-roll offense suddenly sputtered. The Thunder did more switching, though not so much off Parker, and the big men played much tougher on slowing the Spur options.

“I think my length bothered him,” Thabo said. “Again, I rely on my teammates a lot, and they did a great job of helping me.”