How Alex Caruso became Robin to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Batman when Thunder need him most

Some players simply elevate their game on the biggest stage when the lights are the brightest. This year’s Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder can’t feature any brighter lights than it already does, and Alex Caruso is making a very strong case for being the MVP of the series.

All year, everyone around the NBA has anticipated this matchup between the Spurs and Thunder.

So many storylines surround these two young teams, as they will be linked to one another with a chance to reach the NBA Finals on the line for many years to come. Of course, the All-NBA talents of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and De’Aaron Fox also stand out, as do emerging young stars like Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle.

But every year, there are those who step up into much larger roles than anticipated and ultimately play a vital role in their team’s championship journey. Last season, Caruso’s veteran presence and championship experience played vital roles in the Thunder capturing their first title, and the 32-year-old guard is once again using his jack-of-all-trades skill set to elevate Oklahoma City.

And his production could not be coming at a better time, with Williams out due to a hamstring injury and Ajay Mitchell dealing with his calf issue. After losing Game 4 of this series 103-82 in San Antonio without both Williams and Mitchell, momentum had completely shifted in favor of the Spurs, and for the first time in quite some time, the Thunder appeared to be in trouble.

Where would secondary production around Gilgeous-Alexander come from, and would the defending champions have any answer for slowing down the Spurs? Well, after barely playing in this Game 4 beatdown in San Antonio, Caruso battled through an ankle turn in Game 5 to deliver yet another massive performance off the bench that set a tone of physicality for the Thunder.

Has Alex Caruso become Thunder’s playoff MVP?

In 28 minutes during Game 5, Caruso proved to be the Robin to Gilgeous-Alexander’s Batman, scoring 22 points on 4-of-8 shooting from deep and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Caruso also finished the game with six assists and three steals, once again proving to be the anchor of the Thunder’s perimeter defensive attack.

The bottom line is that this performance in a pivotal home game is nothing new for Caruso.

During the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, Caruso stepped up and scored 20 points in Games 2 and 4, both of which the Thunder were coming off a loss. So far this year, the same pattern has happened in the playoffs.

After losing Game 1 to the Spurs, Caruso scored 17 points in the Thunder’s 122-113 Game 2 win. And as already mentioned, Caruso’s 22-point Game 5 performance helped push the Thunder to a 3-2 lead in this series.

Overall, this series has been dominated by Caruso.

Through five games, Caruso is averaging 17.0 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor and 58.1 percent from 3-point range while making an average of 3.6 triples per game. Oh, and he’s doing this while averaging 24.6 minutes per game off the bench.

When adding what he did in Oklahoma City’s first two playoff series, Caruso is shooting 47.7 percent from 3-point range in the postseason after shooting just 29.3 percent from distance during the regular season. That is an 18.4 percent increase for the veteran guard, with the lights being as bright as they are.

With his four threes in Game 5 on Tuesday night, Caruso has now made 18 threes off the bench in this series against the Spurs. That is a new postseason record for the most threes made off the bench in a single Conference Finals series.

ALEX CARUSO: SHARPSHOOTER!

Game 1: 8-14 3PM
Game 2: 3-4 3PM
Game 3: 3-5 3PM
Game 5: 4-8 3PM

He sets a new postseason NBA record for most 3PM off the bench in a single Conference Finals series (18)

pic.twitter.com/uk2nkigp9O

— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2026

Every time the Thunder needed a big play on offense or defense, Caruso has been involved. As good as Gilgeous-Alexander is as the two-time defending MVP, it really isn’t hard to make the case for Caruso being the Thunder’s most important player in this series.

Not having Jalen Williams or Ajay Mitchell and still being able to find success is a direct reflection on Caruso’s leadership abilities and his demeanor to simply make winning plays for his team. And it’s not like we are talking about an All-NBA talent or skillful scorer here.

Caruso is simply the type of player who plays his best basketball in the biggest moments.

Through five games of this Western Conference Finals battle with the Spurs, Caruso ranks fourth among all players in total points, fourth in total shots made, and he is the only bench player from both teams averaging double-digit scoring numbers.

Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen. Stephen Curry had Klay Thompson. And now, as crazy as it may look and sound, Gilgeous-Alexander has Caruso.

Alex Caruso’s championship experience is invaluable

I know how crazy that last sentence looks, putting Caruso in the same category as Pippen and Thompson. Those guys are Hall of Famers, and Caruso is nothing more than a role player. But… is it that crazy to say he is one of the best role players ever… possibly THE best role player ever?

Josh Giddey may be a great player in his own right and becoming the best player on the Chicago Bulls, but this trade by Sam Presti to grab Caruso for only Giddey was an absolute steal, especially since they gave up zero draft picks for him.

Caruso was one of the main reasons why the Thunder won the 2025 NBA Finals, and he could very well end up being the reason Oklahoma City makes it back to the Finals this year.

Measuring his impact overall, Caruso has instilled championship confidence and qualities in the Thunder’s DNA that can’t be replicated in any way. His importance to the overall success of the team simply goes back to the fact that he won a championship before any of the young stars on this roster, and Caruso taught them what it means to be a champion.

“He has the most championships on this team, first and foremost,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the veteran guard on Tuesday night. “He’s played in the most big games on this team. That experience you can’t recreate, you can’t manufacture. You either go through it or don’t.”

With the Thunder leading the Spurs 2-1 heading into Game 4, head coach Mark Daigneault took a different approach to the team’s rotations. Although Caruso had been red-hot, he only played 14 minutes in Oklahoma City’s 103-82 Game 4 beatdown on the road.

Plenty of adjustments were needed following this game, and the easiest decision Daigneault has ever made as the Thunder head coach was giving Caruso the most minutes out of any secondary player.

Aside from his offensive impact so far in this series, Caruso has also continued to prove why he is one of the best all-around defenders. To be perfectly honest, he may have guarded every single one of the Spurs’ players to this point through five games, including guarding Wemby at times.

No matter the challenge, even if it’s an injury like turning his ankle in the first half of Game 5 and going to the locker room, Caruso never backs down. Just the sheer mindset of emerging from the locker room and getting back on the floor and playing at the same level in the second half resonates with Caruso’s teammates.

Everyone in Oklahoma City knows how important Caruso is to the overall success of this team. If the Thunder are to go on to defeat the Spurs and possibly win another championship, Caruso will have his fingerprints all over their victories.

As far as what Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder as a whole think, they understand that Caruso is their leader who will step up in the biggest moments when needed.

“AC isn’t a super uber-talented guy. Like, he’s not some guy that’s 6’7″ with a 7’3″ wingspan and shoots the lights out, but he’s one of, if not the best, competitors in the NBA night in and night out,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He wears that hat for this group all season long, and it’s on TV every night now, so the world’s getting to see it, but he’s huge for us.”

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