Oklahoma City – Through the first seven and a half months of this NBA season, Alex Karuso topped a game twice in just 30 minutes.
First: A Late march meeting With Los Angeles Clippers, when Jalan Williams and Chet Holmagren were pressed on duty in the early lineup of the thunder. Second: 2024 Western Conference Final Game 4, when in the experienced super-Sab court, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobart and Har Timberwolf, a tough battle attracted Oklahoma City within a victory of the 2025 NBA final in a tough battle 128–126 win.
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Now when thunders are really In 2025 NBA Finals, however? Caruso has played 30-plus twice in four final games-now the last two, now when you mention it.
As the philosopher once said, “There are no coincidences.”
Name of that philosopher? Alex Caruso.
Oklahoma City Thunder Guard Alex Karuso NBA has reached the occasion in the final. (AP Photo/Michael Connoy)
(associated Press)
Caruso cracked in his first 72 appearance at a rate of 30 minutes only twice- and Postsen was a symbol of an attack plan for a player for the Thunder’s Big-Picture Plan of Attack, which he had targeted in a major business in the last summer, which was the missing piece of the championship puzzle … but a player who was still a significant time.
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“Yes, I mean, it’s a two -edged sword,” Karuso said after Oklahoma City’s Game 2 win. “Something I play a very uncertain style, even if this game is 1 [of the season] Or if this is the game 2 of the final. I have only one gear – I don’t know how to play at 75%. Some of them were keeping me out of the path of loss in their own way. I do not do good work on my own. ,
However, some of them had decreased in Oklahoma City, who were able to contribute to a tonne’s friends with friends.
“We won 68 games in a regular session,” Karuso said after game 2. “We had a 12-, 13-man rotation through the year, which depends on how we play, different teams come with just a good, deep team.”
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In the final, there is a way to reduce the depth of a team, however – to erase opportunities to see that an uncertain crook may be able to provide you, more limited contributors to be particularly weak and thus to provide unacceptable, to demolish a team down to their most essential elements.
After game 4, gamers coach Rick Carlisle said after game 4, “This is the last attempt, whatever you want to call it,” said Passer Coach Rick Carlisley after the game 4. “I mean, it’s tall. It is difficult. But this is the biggest chance. … It is really difficult, and it must be hard.”
It is a crucible: a 24/7 stress test that spots and decorates weakness, and it rewards versatility and skill, a game without holes, and an iron constitution.
In other words: This is a series created for caruso, and that is designed for caruso.
“Yes, you know, I am a full basketball player,” he said on Sunday. “There are many things that I really do, really good.”
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Caruso demonstrated the variety of his skill-set in Game 4. Everyone knows, at this point, that is One of the best defenders on the planetEqually specializes in chasing the gerbag guard around the screen and an aggressive body in the post to body aggressively. What can be many No However, it is known that he is also more capable of Oklahoma City’s crime, with more, and more Touches And Occupation time Apart from any thunder, in the game 4 and in addition to Jalen Williams, and with Threw more close Even two on-balls of OKC compared to all-stars.
Or that, when the moment asks for it, he shakes enough for his handle so that the point A to point B can be bounced and something can happen after reaching it once:
Caruso said after game 4, “During my career, my abilities have become better through morality and a little confidence and have achieved success in the moment.” prepare.”
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The preparation is combined with countless catch-sham-sham reps, which has converted it into 43.2% marksman from the 3-point range in this postsen, making Karuso a legitimate supplementary aggressive threat that is playing with the choice of Gilgus-Alexander, Williams and Chet Holmagren. And HeCombined with their ability to protect everyone in the positional spectrum, and doing so, their tendency, theft, deflection, blocked shots and blow-ups make them an extraordinaryly additive player in any context that you can include.
“He is a gamer-you plug him anywhere, any lineup, feel like any group, he makes a difference,” Gilgus-Alexander said on Sunday. “He makes everyone better around him. He is always talking. He always knows where we are, where he has another team. He has a tendency that is special. I don’t think you can teach such things. He just knows where the ball is going, where a rebound is jumping, how to get a deletion, a time.”
There was a late difference in sports 4 after the difference of all. Caruso contributed a bit of everything-strong shot competitions, aggressive rebounding at both ends, smart cuts, timely help rotation, excellent on-ball defense-mall-ball-ball defensive Luckers as part of Star Tirece Heliberton’s part, “Stagant Got,” said that she was the best, which was the best, which was the best.
“He has a championship ring for a reason,” Gilgus-Alexander said after game 4. “This is not a coincidence. He knows what it takes. He hired. He is proving it every night.”
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Caruso has proved a lot for Oklahoma City, both during the season and in this series, where they have In addition to Holmagraine regularly the best on-court/off-court splits of any thunder rotationIn a Gottatta-It Game 4, Oklahoma City excluded Indiana Caruso by 14 points in 30 minutesThrough four games, Of the 26 Thunder Lineups, 17 who have excluded the pacers, have included Caruso,
“He is just a wonderful experience for the game and is a crazy contestant,” Gilgus-Alexander said on Sunday. “I think you combine those two things together, and no matter what you leave it in the world, any basketball game, he is going to make a difference.”
The question of Daigneault and their coaching staff is growing in Game 5 of the 2-2 series: Can Caruso make a big difference in even big minutes? Like … for example… Starter minutes?
It proved to be very willing to tinker with his initial lineup of Daigneault, with Yashayah Heartenstein a more traditional two-bigar look, which is in favor of taking Holmagren as well as Kaison Wale in the first five, which is in the first five, which is Holiberon, Andrew Nembhard and Indianana’s high-OCTANE Ball-and the player with the player. Get better at the speed of Daigneault then shifted back to the double-bigu unit for game 4, as part of the re-evaluation of Oklahoma City rotation and replacement pattern, partially targeted to combat the defensive strategy of pacers on Gilgas-Alexander, thus ensuring that MVP ensures that MVP has a little more gas in the tank. Crunch had come in time compared to skillful).
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“Every game is different,” Daigneault said on Sunday. “Like, we, after winning it, after the loss, in these chains, we transfer things very quickly to try to be unexpected, and at the same time try to try for every benefit what we can do that can be close games.”
Some players in the league are better equipped to eliminate those advantages than caruso, and not up with not up with the final and just two wins with a title, Daigneault on Sunday seemed to be a coach that a coach prepared even more difficult to bend in his direction.
“I think this is the time when you have found to do everything you can try to win the games and get all the stops out. It’s the mindset,” he said. “He has been great. Additional comfort in the finals is an idea for all players, and you get a lot of comfort between sports. There are advantages and disadvantages. But one advantage is to recover and be as fresh for everyone to recover and play as much as possible.”
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With an additional day of comfort between games 4 and 5, and Larry O’Brien is getting closer to possession with a shot on the second date with the trophy, Karuso planned to prepare to put his fingers on the game, no matter how many minutes he needs to play to play on Monday night in Bricktown.
Karuso said on Sunday, “These are the games you are doing justice to … It is the time of the year, for which I live.” “This is the time of the year where the game matters, bets are high, victory and disadvantages are more important. So it is important to be ready for it.”