Indiana Pacers: NBA Champion Shares What Haliburton Needs to do in Game 3 2 Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the fourth quarter in game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

'I’m on the IR a Little Longer' – Oklahoma City Thunder’s Alex Caruso Drops Major Injury Update After 2025 Finals Win

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 12:49 PM ET

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso recently revealed that he sustained a hand injury during their grueling best-of-seven series against the Indiana Pacers.

The two-time NBA champion said he feels much better now that the Oklahoma City Thunder just had their championship parade and that he’ll use the offseason to heal.

“Game 7. I got a steal on Ben Sheppard. I poked it,” Caruso answered when asked when he hurt his hand via ClutchPoints’ Josue Pavon.

Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton Gets 100% Honest on His New Nickname 5 Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) during the fourth quarter in game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

“It’s been pretty relaxed. There’s not much that’s changed, just getting to rest finally. I tried to swing some golf clubs yesterday. My knuckle is still sprained,” he added. “So, I’m on the IR a little longer.”

Oklahoma City Thunder News: Alex Caruso makes one major request after winning the NBA championship

Alex Caruso expects the Oklahoma City Thunder to gain more recognition from the league moving forward for winning the NBA championship, starting with getting featured on the Christmas Day schedule next season.

Mar 16, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) gets pressure from Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

“Until you win, they don’t really care about you. They’re not going to put you on TV. They’re not going to talk about you. But once you win, you can’t ignore it. From that aspect, we better play on Christmas next year,” Caruso said on the Pat McAfee Show. “I would love to play Christmas morning and have the rest of the day to watch football. That would be awesome.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t played on December 25 since 2018, when they lost 113-109 to the Houston Rockets. Before that, they’d played on Christmas every year from 2010 to 2018.