Thunder Notes: Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins, And Lineup That Clicks

The Oklahoma City Thunder knew what they were getting when they acquired the 30-year-old guard — hustle, defense, and bruises. A guy who throws himself into a game the way a fullback used to throw himself into the line of scrimmage. So they made a decision: fewer minutes in the regular season, more gas in the playoffs.

Caruso averaged just under 20 minutes a night before April. That’s about eight fewer than last season with the Bulls. But now? He’s back over 23 per game in the playoffs, including 20 huge points in Game 2 of the Finals.

“I don’t really have a low gear,” Caruso said, via Ryan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. “I play hard. That’s all I know. The less I’m out there early in the season, the more I can help when it matters.”

And right now, it matters.

Wiggins Seizes His Moment

Aaron Wiggins is one of those players every coach loves and every box score sometimes forgets. But in Game 2, he didn’t just show up. He broke through.

Eighteen points. Twenty-one minutes. After playing only nine minutes in Game 1.

“He’s underrated,” Thunder forward Jalen Williams told reporters. “That’s the hardest job in the league, to stay ready when you’re not playing much, then go deliver on the biggest stage.”

The Lineup That Keeps Working

Oklahoma City won Game 2 by 16. Twelve of those points came in the minutes without MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor. That tells you something about their depth. Or maybe it tells you about a certain five-man group.

Caruso, Williams, Wiggins, Cason Wallace, and Isaiah Hartenstein. That was the lineup when SGA sat. That was the lineup that pulled away.

Coach Mark Daigneault has been using it off and on all postseason. Now it’s becoming a weapon.

“We mix it up,” Caruso said. “Cason and I chase the guards, Dub has great hands, Wiggs can move around, and Harty protects the rim. It works.”

Defense, Details, and Adjustments

Game 1 was close. Game 2 was not.

The difference? Defense. Specifically, the way OKC handled Indiana’s pick-and-roll and got physical without getting whistled. That’s coaching, that’s film work, that’s execution.

The Athletic’s Kelly Iko broke it down: better ball screen placement, tighter defensive angles, more aggressive switches. The Thunder adjusted. The Pacers didn’t. At least not yet.

Game 3 is Wednesday night, 8:30 p.m. EST, in Indianapolis (ABC TV).