Alex Caruso keeps coming clutch off the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. While the rest of the Thunder squad is fairly young, Caruso is not just a veteran presence on the team but also knows how to win the NBA Finals.
He did it once with the Los Angeles Lakers, and while he didn’t play a major role in that LeBron James-led victory, the 31-year-old has proved instrumental in Oklahoma’s two wins in the series so far, etching his name in the history books for his clutch play.
Alex Caruso Achieves Unique Feat In NBA History During Thunder’s Game 4 Win
Caruso is a solid rotational piece and has been pivotal as a lockdown perimeter defender during OKC’s run to the Finals. His relentless energy and ability to generate key stops have been critical to the Western Conference powerhouse’s 68-win regular season and 14-6 playoff record.
However, Caruso only managed to post double-digit scores in just 17 of the 54 games in the regular season. It isn’t a drop in his production, but that’s how he has been throughout his NBA career. The shooting guard has only once averaged more than 10 points in a season (10.1 in 2023-24), but when it comes to the ongoing finals, he is breaking his own ceiling.
Caruso put up 20 points in Game 2 of the finals to help the Thunder even the series, and as Oklahoma City stared at an ominous 3-1 deficit on Friday night, the former NBA champion stepped up yet again and dropped another 20-point game. In doing so, he became the first NBA player in history to have two 20-point games in the Finals after not having a single one during the regular season.
Welcome to the Carushow 📺
Alex Caruso becomes the first player in NBA history to have two 20-point games in an NBA Finals after having ZERO in the regular season 😳 pic.twitter.com/TABdgwlmvL
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 14, 2025
The highest number of points Caruso scored during the regular season was 19. However, throughout his career, he has averaged 7.8 points per game in the playoffs. On Friday night, Caruso shot 7 of 9 from the floor, adding three rebounds and five steals, and his biggest impact was felt late in the fourth quarter when he dried up Indy’s scoring.
Jalen Williams acknowledged Caruso’s impact, which combined with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth-quarter rampage, was crucial in the Thunder heading home with a 2-2 tie instead of a 3-1 deficit.
“What makes Alex very good is that he’s able to figure out what we need, and to be that,” Williams said. “He makes big shots and then, obviously, the defense speaks for itself. But he’s just really smart. He’s kind of like our villain. He does a really good job of just seeing what the game needs and doing it at 100 percent.”
Williams was the second top scorer for the Thunder with 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Fans hope Alex Caruso continues to put up 20-point games to help the Thunder win its maiden NBA championship.
