Alex Caruso had a standout performance in Game 2, scoring 20 points off the bench for OKC.
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OKLAHOMA CITY — A back-door cut. A no-look pass from Cason Wallace. A whistle. An off-balance reverse layup. A deafening roar from the crowd.
Alex Caruso was alive. So alive.
His momentum carried him right to his bench, where he flicked his wrist in the classic and-1 gesture and chest-bumped Chet Holmgren. Caruso had missed a right-corner 3, after the Oklahoma City Thunder tracked down the rebound, smoked Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard on a back-door cut, enough for Sheppard to grab Caruso as he whizzed by with hopes of slowing him down. Caruso kept going, catching Wallace’s pass and scooping in a layup off the glass on the left side.
The Thunder were up by 22 with just under 10 minutes left in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. But having been burned by these Pacers before, the clear task was to step on Indiana’s neck. Caruso obliged. With the free throw, he’d put the Thunder up by 25.
The shot didn’t count, however. Sheppard’s foul was ruled before the shot. Caruso’s punctuation highlight was erased from the box score. But the visual wasn’t. The moment was still illustrative of Caruso’s Game 2 and his unmistakable value to the Thunder. His combination of basketball IQ and relentless hustle has come to embody the championship quality of Oklahoma City.
In Game 1, he left his mark with defense. His presence felt like two defenders. He defended his man, hounding the ball the way he does. He was also a stealthy helper, aggressively pursuing blocks and sneaky steals. Contesting in the paint. Blowing up dribble handoffs. Evading screens. He gave Indiana fits — until the final minutes.
On Sunday, that defensive presence was still there. But if the Thunder were going to prevent more Indiana heroics, they needed a more efficient and explosive offense. So Caruso delivered buckets: 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting off the bench, including four 3s, in a game the Thunder had to have, and got, with a 123-107 win at Paycom Center.
How many times did he score 20 points in the regular season? Zero. How many times in these playoffs? Two.
The man is a marvel. He plays with such ferocity on both ends. It would be impressive no matter who managed such energy and effort. But Caruso is doing this at 31 years old.
“Don’t disrespect,” Holmgren, who wears his sunglasses at night, said with a smile, “our GOAT like that, man.”
Touché.
“He’s one of those guys who you know is going to bring it every single night. Whether he’s 22 or 30, doesn’t matter. He’s going to bring it. I feel like, as a collective, we really feed off of that. Then also his ability to kind of process things that are happening out there and relay it and communicate it to everybody else is really important for us.
“Hopefully,” Holmgren continued, his smile creeping back, “that doesn’t fade away as the years go on.”
It’s hard to imagine a different Caruso, one who isn’t swarming around the court, bullying opponents with his strength and energy and making play after play powered by his cerebral prowess. We only know him as this. The undrafted G Leaguer forged a place in basketball culture with his sheer will. His headbands are wider than the road he took to get here.
That’s why it must feel grand for Caruso to be back on this grand stage. He won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. The Lakers let him get away in 2021. He signed a four-year deal with the Chicago Bulls. He played four playoff games in his three seasons there before Chicago traded him to Oklahoma City. He’s also dealt with injuries along the way. He played a career-high 71 games with the Bulls last season, but generally falls below 64. He appeared in 54 games this season.
Caruso said the journey underscores the difficulty of it all. Making the playoffs, winning a series, making it to the finals, hoisting a trophy. It’s ever daunting.
In a series like this, where every possession counts, there’s no such thing as a small play. Nobody understands this better than Caruso, who built his career in the margins, on small plays, stacking them into a formidable career. He knows that now more than ever, the little things make the biggest difference. That’s a special mastery of his —and he’s using it to make Oklahoma City’s championship dreams feel that much closer.
“Getting here isn’t guaranteed,” Caruso said. “Nobody gets a free pass. Nobody gets an extended welcome. You have to earn it every time. Being here is an accomplishment. But winning it is the real pinnacle.”
Holmgren meant the Thunder locker room when he said “our GOAT.” But, truly, he was speaking on behalf of basketball fans. Because Caruso is the GOAT of the people, those who find companionship with grinders. It’s hard to watch him play and not want him on your team. Not even just basketball. You want him on any team. Sales team. Legal team. Your company softball team. Human resources, community service, construction. Give that man a badge and a key fob, and your team is better for it.
Of course, Oklahoma City agreed to pay him $81 million over four years. So he is on that team, which he just helped avoid disaster. Going into Game 2, even though Vegas had Thunder as overwhelming favorites, Indiana stealing a game was in the back of everybody’s mind. Including Oklahoma City.
The Thunder played with urgency, like a team that understood the stakes. It’s a mistake to read too much into one game in the finals, especially with these Pacers. But a response from the Thunder was paramount for their confidence.
It’s not a coincidence that Caruso was at the center of their resurgence. As the one player with championship experience, he knows the way. He’s surrounded by poised youngsters, who’ve shown the stage isn’t too big. But they can get rattled, as Game 1 proved. They can have spells when they get off kilter.
Sunday was the latest example of how they can lock back in, get back to center. No doubt part of that is the leadership of Caruso. The example he sets with his style of play and his ability to communicate what he sees and knows.
“He’s been tremendous for us from all parts of the game,” Kenrich Williams said. “Brings a lot of energy, brings a voice to the locker room, and he is just playing at a very high level right now. You can tell he turned it up in the playoffs, and that’s what we need.”
The Thunder prepared for this postseason surge by Caruso. He was ninth on the team in minutes during the regular season. It was the fewest total minutes he’s played since his second season in the NBA, when he was on a two-way deal with the Lakers.
He acknowledged that part of this regular season was difficult. He wants to play. He’s used to playing. Not doing so, especially in those times the team struggled, required a new level of patience.
But at the same time, Caruso is — wait, don’t want to disrespect their GOAT — over 10,000 minutes for his career. And his isn’t typical playing time. Those are maniac minutes. Dirty-work minutes. All gas, no brakes.
“I just only have one gear,” Caruso said, explaining his limited action. “I don’t know how to play at 75 percent. Some of that was keeping me out of my own way, out of harm’s way. I don’t do a good job of that on my own.”
He’s averaging 27.5 minutes so far in these finals and it feels like it should be over 30 based on his impact. When he’s in the game, you know he’s on the court. He’s the one all over it, constantly moving, completely disrupting his opponent.
His defense is as suffocating as ever. Just ask Jalen Williams.
“I don’t know,” Williams said. “I be frying AC, so I don’t really know.”
Hey, hey, hey. Don’t disrespect your GOAT.
Caruso is more than just hustle. He’s got off-the-charts savvy. An ability to read the game with a surgeon’s precision. With his smarts and tenacity.
On Sunday, he showed he can knock down open 3s and slash his way to reliable offense. In Game 2, he was the spark off the bench. Because whatever is needed, Caruso is willing. It’s been too long getting back here for him to not approach this series like it’s his last.
But that’s no problem for Caruso. He lives for the biggest games. He’s ready to pour himself out like liquor if it means winning.
That’s why he’s conceding to Williams. The Thunder’s OG, the ultimate teammate who finds honor in sacrificing, validated the claims of Williams.
“Dub is a very confident individual,” Caruso said, embedding his concession in a smile. “I’m not the best practice player. Once I made the NBA roster and I signed a contract, my intensity in practice dropped a little bit. In the game is kind of where it matters now. I think I’ve earned that spot in my career. We’ll let him have the days in between games.”
Because in the games, that’s when Caruso comes alive.
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Marcus Thompson II is a lead columnist at The Athletic. He is a prominent voice in the Bay Area sports scene after 18 years with Bay Area News Group, including 10 seasons covering the Warriors and four as a columnist. Marcus is also the author of the best-selling biography “GOLDEN: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry.” Follow Marcus on Twitter @thompsonscribe
