Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso succinctly broke down his playing style, showcasing why he is a perfect fit on his team. The Western Conference champions were their usual selves in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, dominating a less talented opponent at home. The Indiana Pacers showed signs of life throughout the first half of this clash, but were gradually overwhelmed by the Thunder’s overwhelming defense and diverse shotmaking. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led the charge, this time with 34 points, eight assists, four steals, and a block.
Caruso also was a star in his role, which has been the norm for the 2020 NBA champion during this postseason run. The 31-year-old scored 20 points as OKC pulled away for the 123-107 victory. The Thunder are not in the NBA Finals without Caruso, and the guard summed up his relentless play with an eye-opening comment in the postgame interview.
“I play a pretty erratic style, regardless if it’s game one (of the regular season) or Game 2 of the finals. I just only have one gear. I don’t know how to play at 75%.”
The Thunder will look to carry this momentum with them on the road
It’s encouraging that OKC did not fall prey to the same trend as the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks. All of those teams lost the first two games of their series to the Pacers, putting themselves in a situation where they had to win four out of five games against Indiana. Now, the series is even, with OKC having outplayed its Eastern Conference opponents for much of it, despite the shocking Game 1 loss. It’s clear that the Thunder have the defensive personnel to give the Pacers fits at times.
The Eastern Conference champions only scored 41 points in the first half and once again struggled with turnovers. Meanwhile, on the other end, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren showed some growth after poor Game 1 performances. In addition, Caruso, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Hartenstein were significant boosts off the bench. Hartenstein, in particular, saw significantly more time with Holmgren on the floor, which helped expand the lead for the Thunder.
Head coach Mark Daigneault made the bold move of starting Cason Wallace over OKC’s starting center to keep up with Indiana’s speed. However, through two games, Hartenstein has been a +19 in 39 minutes of play. Overall, order was restored on Sunday night, and the Thunder now will travel to Indiana in an attempt to take back home court.
Like the Denver Nuggets series, Gilgeous-Alexander and company know they must get at least one of these games on the road. Therefore, the role players, who had terrific performances tonight, like Caruso, will have to continue that form at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. One thing that the Thunder can for sure count on is that the backup guard’s energy will be phenomenal; that’s the standard he’s set for himself, he’s been completely living up to it.
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