OKLAHOMA CITY — By all accounts, if you’re a box score truther, Alex Caruso had a decent Game 7 performance, finishing the afternoon with 11 points, three assists and three steals
But Game 7s, with their unpredictable nature, traditionally extend far beyond simple counting stats. And for all intents and purposes, Caruso’s defensive masterclass on Nikola Jokić was the difference maker in the biggest game of the Thunder’s season.
From the moment he was inserted into the game, Caruso made it his sole objective to frustrate Jokić as much as possible, whether the ball was in the Nuggets superstar’s hands or not. A Denver team playing with a hobbled Aaron Gordon would naturally lean more on the Joker, but Caruso’s versatility allowed him to be a thorn in the Nuggets’ side all afternoon long. Jokić finished with 20 points but made just five field goals and turned the ball over five times.
Caruso’s defensive intensity was contagious for a Thunder team that forced 22 turnovers, turning those mistakes into 32 points at the other end. He may have been the smallest player on the floor, but his impact was felt the most. Oklahoma City is headed to the conference finals because of it.