Alex Caruso Is Shooting 58.1% From Deep, And The Spurs Have No Answer For It

HOLY SMOKES, did you see Game 5 last night?! The Oklahoma City Thunder just absolutely came out firing, taking down the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 and pushing those guys to the brink of elimination! We’re talking a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference Finals, and what’s absolutely wild is who’s getting it done. Forget the usual suspects, because an unlikely hero has completely flipped the script, and honestly, the Spurs look shell-shocked.

The Oldest Guy on the Roster is the New MVP?!

Seriously, if you told me going into this series that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would struggle to score efficiently, or that Jalen Williams would be sidelined AGAIN with a hamstring injury, I would have said the Spurs were going to run away with it. Remember how SGA himself sounded the alarm on Christmas? After losing to San Antonio three times in 12 days, he said, “You don't lose to a team three times in a row in a short span without them being better than you. We have to get better look in the mirror. That's everybody from top to bottom if we want to reach our ultimate goal.” And the Spurs DID dominate them in the regular season, winning four of five matchups, even in the NBA Cup semifinals!

But here we are, and the Thunder are on the verge of the NBA Finals, thanks in large part to a dude nobody saw coming: Alex Caruso. This 32-year-old is the oldest player on OKC’s young roster, and coach Mark Daigneault basically kept him in bubble wrap all regular season, playing him more than 25 minutes in only one game decided in regulation. Even through the first two playoff sweeps, Caruso got to take it easy.

Caruso's Explosive Performance Is Changing Everything

That bubble wrap is OFF, baby! Caruso opened the West Finals with a blistering shooting performance in Game 1 and has been clutch in all three of Oklahoma City's wins. Get this: during the regular season, he averaged 9.5 points in 20.6 minutes against the Spurs. Now? He's putting up 17 points per game in 24.7 minutes, shooting a ridiculous 58.1% from beyond the arc in this series! Daigneault's "biggest" and most "obvious" adjustment was to simply play Caruso more minutes, and it's paying off HUGE. This nine-year veteran isn’t just draining threes, he’s still bringing his signature defensive impact and those hustle plays that just kill you. The Thunder are a ridiculous plus-45 with him on the court through these five games.

So, the Spurs are staring down elimination, and it’s not because their MVP finalist got outplayed by another. It’s because the Thunder’s deep bench, led by a guy who usually doesn’t get this kind of shine, is absolutely stepping up when it matters most. Can they really pull this off? Game 6 is going to be ABSOLUTELY INSANE. Can OKC close it out on the road with their surprising heroes, or do the Spurs have one last trick up their sleeve to avoid going home? You better believe I'm on the edge of my seat for this one!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.