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The Oklahoma City Thunder now leads the San Antonio Spurs 2-1 in the Western Conference Finals. A lot of the talk surrounds Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because of his chops of getting to the rim and knocking down buckets. But, an unsung hero throughout these past three games has been Alex Caruso. The veteran two-way guard exploded a lot from three-point range and even equaled a feat last held by Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry.
Caruso blazes up for Thunder, equals Curry's insane three-point record
Alex Caruso is averaging about 4.67 three-pointers made throughout the past three games between the Thunder and Spurs. He is now averaging the most three-pointers per game in the Western Conference Finals since 2019, per StatMuse.
Who has the player that he equaled for this insane NBA Playoffs record? It is none other than Stephen Curry.
Coach Mark Daigneault has not been shy in giving Caruso the greenlight to shoot from outside the arc. In Game 1, he blazed up and knocked down eight three-pointers and got 31 points despite the loss to the Spurs. Fast forwards to Games 2 and 3, he has knocked down three shots from beyond the arc each. This has netted him 17 points and 15 points respectively to help the Thunder get the series lead.
Caruso has been the steady two-way backup to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Along with 15 points in Game 3, he was also able to grab three rebounds, nab two steals, produce a block, and drop an assist. His presence has been felt by the Spurs and they have not quite found an answer for the all-around production that he drops.
Coach Daigneault clearly has his X-Factor in Caruso. If he continues to dominate the guards and wings of the Spurs this much, they will surely have an easier path to back-to-back Larry O'Brien trophies.
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