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Jun 13, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the second half during game four of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Alex Caruso Relishing OKC Thunder’s Deep Playoff Run

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Ross Lovelace | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 8:00 PM ET

The NBA postseason is where narratives are created and legends are born — it’s the most exciting time of the year. Some teams are playing with house money, while others are dealing with immense pressure from the basketball community. Oklahoma City has been on both sides of the spectrum over the last three years, but for the second straight year, the pressure has been on full blast.

Being a historic regular season team isn’t always a fun spot to be in entering the playoffs. No matter what Oklahoma City did, it was always going to be nearly impossible to replicate the regular season dominance this team experienced. For the second straight season, Oklahoma City topped the Western Conference in the record category, but this year they’ve been determined to not let their run be cut short again.

One of the biggest reasons that this Thunder team was able to advance past last year’s shortcomings is the additional offseason reinforcements — like Alex Caruso. The championship experience and big moments he has contributed have been priceless.

Alex Caruso: “These are the games you’re judged on. You can win 68 games like we did. Losing in the first round, everybody’s gonna be like, ‘Oh they won 68 but lost in the first round.’… This is the time of year I live for. Time of year where games matter and stakes are high.” pic.twitter.com/hbFO8FK5Vq
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) June 15, 2025

“These are the games you are judged on,” Caruso said. “You can win 68 games like we did, and you lose in the first round and everybody is going to be like, oh, they won 68 they but lost in the first round. Vice versa, you can win 48 games, sneak into the playoffs; and if you win a couple series, you say, well, they had a pretty good run.

“This is the time of the year that I live for. This is the time of the year where games matter, stakes are high, wins and losses are more important. So being prepared for this is important.”

The evidence backs up Caruso’s statement. This really is the time of the year he lives for. Across 20 playoff games, Caruso has averaged 10.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.9 steals. From star big men to elite guards, Caruso has guarded up and down the lineup. He’s also shooting a red-hot 43.2% from 3-point range.

So far, so good for the Thunder during this deep playoff run. It hasn’t been cut unexpectedly short, but Oklahoma City still has to finish the job. The players are taking no solace in this being a good series, and remain ready to wrap it up as soon as possible.

“Good for y'all,” Caruso joked. “Good for me would be getting ready for a parade right now. From the outside perspective, it's great for the league and great for basketball.”

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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