Shai Gilgeous-Alexander admitted “the nerves had been pure” Sunday when the top-seeded Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder struggled offensively to start out Recreation 7 of their Western Convention semifinal in opposition to Denver.
Jettisoning these jitters hinged upon OKC’s calling card — gritty, high-pressure protection personified in veteran Alex Caruso.
What the headbanded, 6-foot-5 reserve guard lacks in model consciousness he makes up for in expertise, an attribute that largely eluded the Thunder final season.
Buying Caruso from Chicago in an offseason commerce might not have made waves on the time, however Caruso definitely has since returning to the town the place he began his professional profession. Now, the previous OKC Blue G-Leaguer is primed to assist the Thunder’s younger core take the following step as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves to start the West finals Tuesday evening.
Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander might look posh in a sure ubiquitous AT&T industrial, however they’re not averse to following Caruso’s measured but in-your-face lead on the ground.
“Simply making an attempt to be the place our ft are within the second, see what’s in entrance of us and attempt to assault it,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “Come out on the appropriate finish of it.”
Oklahoma Metropolis restricted Denver to 39.3 p.c taking pictures Sunday, together with a 22.7 p.c effort from lengthy vary, en path to a 125-93 win. Caruso confirmed the way in which in his frequent half-court defensive task. He yielded six inches and vital bulk to three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic — however little else — serving to restrict Jokic to twenty factors. Practically half of these — 9 — got here on the free-throw line.
“For me,” Caruso stated, “it’s nearly competing … being relentless with my vitality, the hassle to make it powerful on him, and clearly the blokes round me did a superb job of serving to and swarming that, as a result of I’m not doing that by myself.”
What Caruso can take credit score for — although he seemingly gained’t — is a contagious tenacity that has helped the Thunder maintain opponents below 100 factors 4 occasions in 11 postseason video games.
A West semifinalist final season following a play-in loss to Minnesota in 2023, the Thunder hit the bottom operating of their playoff opener April 20, as Caruso aided an effort that restricted Memphis to 34.4 p.c taking pictures, together with 17.6 p.c from deep.
“I’ve been lucky sufficient to play with Corridor of Famers, been coached by Corridor of Famers, the elite of the elite,” Caruso stated. “I’ve simply been stealing stuff from different folks and honing it and dealing on it, and now I’m making an attempt to go it on to the remainder of the blokes.
“I believe that they’ve accomplished a superb job of that. Our communication degree, our sense of urgency, our capacity to dissect and transfer ahead is so much higher than it was, I believe, once I first bought right here. And that’s the important thing — utilizing that stuff that I’ve discovered from different folks and passing it on to the others and elevate me, too.”
OKC must hold elevating its degree in opposition to a Wolves group that superior to the West finals final season. Anthony Edwards makes Minnesota go and is averaging 26.5 factors, 8.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists within the playoffs — akin to Gilgeous-Alexander’s 29.0, 5.9 and 6.4.
“Definitely final 12 months’s expertise helps a ton, and that’s what actually that is all about — layering these experiences on high of one another so you possibly can draw from them repeatedly and acquire confidence,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch stated.
The Wolves’ roster isn’t a complete duplicate from final season, in fact. Huge man Karl-Anthony Cities was traded to the East finalist New York Knicks in alternate for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
It’s a testomony to Caruso that he can defend the small ahead or taking pictures guard with equal aplomb.
No matter problem lies in entrance of them, the Thunder seem poised to pounce Caruso-style — aggressive however conscious.
“I believe that’s why we’ve gotten this far within the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated, “and we’re going to proceed to take action.”
