Ibaka: It felt good to break OKC's heart with game-winner in 'emotional' return

Oklahoma City Thunder fans gave longtime power forward Serge Ibaka a warm round of applause before tipoff, but the mood was decidedly glum after Ibaka walked away with the win.

Ibaka scored a career-high 31 points - including the game-winning shot with mere seconds left in regulation - in his return to OKC as a member of the Orlando Magic.

The focus was on snapping Orlando's three-game slide, but that the win came against his former team made it much sweeter for Ibaka.

"I'm not going to lie to you, it feels good," Ibaka told reporters after the game. "But to win tonight, I think it was important for my team more than me. Because like I said we just lost three games, so I wanted to be out there to help my team get the win tonight."

Having spent his entire career in Oklahoma City, Ibaka said he was overcome with emotions.

"I'm thanking God for how calmed-down I was tonight because it was pretty emotional just to get back here," Ibaka told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.

Ibaka didn't even know his way to the visitors' locker room - he needed a team staffer to direct him around the familiar tunnels of the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

"This is my first time being here. I've never been here before. I was walking here and I didn't know which one was the door. They had to show me. It feels kind of weird," Ibaka said.