Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops multiple Alex Caruso truth bombs

OKLAHOMA CITY — For Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso is one of the best competitors in the NBA. The veteran guard tends to elevate his game to new heights in the playoffs, and Game 5’s 127-114 win against the San Antonio Spurs was no different. Caruso’s 22 points led the Thunder bench. He made 5-for-10 field goal attempts, including four threes, and finished with six assists and three steals.

After the win, Gilgeous-Alexander explained why it’s no coincidence that Caruso has a tendency to step up on the brightest stages for the Thunder, such as the Western Conference Finals, where Oklahoma City grabbed a 3-2 lead against the Spurs on Tuesday.

“He has the most championships on this team, first and foremost. He’s played in the most biggest games on this team. So, that experience you can’t recreate or manufacture. You either go through it, or you don’t,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And AC isn’t some uber-talented guy. He’s not some guy that’s 6’7 with a 7’3 wingspan who shoots lights out. But he is one of, if not the best, competitors in the NBA. Night in and night out. He wears that.

“He sets that tone for us as a group, and it’s come full-fledged this series because of him having to step up. He wears that hat for this group all season long. It’s on TV every night. So, everyone’s getting to see it. But, yeah, he’s huge for us.”

SGA explaining why Alex Caruso is so important to the Thunder’s quest to win back-to-back titles: “He has the most championships on this team. He’s played in the most biggest games on this team.

So, that experience you can’t recreate or manufacture. You either go through it or… pic.twitter.com/O7mwlXEGJ2

— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) May 27, 2026

Alex Caruso’s championship experience from winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 earned him a great reputation as a selfless, hard-nosed role player who defends at a high level on one end of the floor, and can score in a hurry on the other. The kind of player who fits in nicely with the Thunder, helping the franchise reach its first title in franchise history in 2025.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 points led the Thunder in Game 5.

Alex Caruso’s playoff stat jump makes NBA history

Thunder guard Alex Caruso has connected on nearly half of his attempts from beyond the 3-point arc (47.4%) throughout this year’s playoff run. That shooting clip spikes up to 58.1% in the Western Conference Finals as Caruso’s efficiency has been a tremendous spark off the Thunder’s bench against the Spurs.

Averaging 17.0 points, 2.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game in five games against the Spurs, Caruso has helped fill the void left in Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams’ respective absences throughout the Thunder’s best-of-7 series.

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