Alex Caruso left it all in the grueling seven-game Western Conference Finals, but the OKC Thunder still lost in Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs, ending what could have been their title defense.
Caruso, one of the veterans in the Spurs, exploded with regret after Game 7, ruing that the Thunder should have played better in the finale to topple San Antonio, whose squad kept in step with the Thunder throughout the series.
“I don’t think there’s this narrative that this is a bugaboo,” he said. “We should’ve played better and won the game and been in the NBA Finals. They’re a good team, they’re young. We’ll both probably be around for a while. But we’ve got to get better and try and win next time.”
“There’s nothing that needs to be solved. We could’ve won the game tonight. You would’ve been asking them the same thing. I don’t think there’s this narrative that this is a bugaboo. We should’ve played better and won the game and been in the NBA
Caruso added that the Thunder does not need to make any drastic changes after the loss. Instead, they must focus on getting better as a team to run it back next season.
“There’s nothing that needs to be solved. We could’ve won the game tonight. You would’ve been asking them the same thing,” Caruso said.
Caruso was a standout for the Thunder on both ends of the court. He had 12 points in Game 4, albeit on an inefficient 3 for 14 shooting from the field, along with five rebounds and four assists.
Throughout the series, Caruso put up 14.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game across the 7-game series off the bench. The Spurs sagged off of him earlier in the series, but Caruso made himself an offensive threat.
Caruso, a two-time champion, will be entering his third season with the Thunder next season.
Caruso Makes History In Thunder’s Western Conference Finals Loss
GettyOklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso makes history in the Western Conference Finals.
Alex Caruso’s performance in the Western Conference Finals was one of the bright spots for the Thunder despite a disappointing end to their season.
Caruso’s performance also put him in the NBA history books, establishing a playoff record for the most three-pointers made off the bench in a single Conference Finals series.
Caruso made 20 3-pointers in the series against the Spurs to set the record. He also shot an astonishing 50% from deep range on nearly six attempts per game.
It is extra impressive as he shot a career-low 29.7% from the 3-point line in the regular season.
Caruso, now 32, is expected to continue to be part of the Thunder’s core for the foreseeable future as they look to bounce back from such a heartbreaking loss against the Spurs.
Thunder Fails to Make History After Loss
GettyOklahoma City Thunder licks their wounds after a disappointing loss to the Spurs.
The Thunder also fell short of making history in their Game 7 loss against the San Antonio Spurs.
If the Thunder won Game 7 and went on to win the NBA Finals, they would have been the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
The Thunder won the title last year with almost the same unit as this year. Their only addition was Jared McCain, whom they got via trade in the middle of the season.
They will have the 12th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft as they look to regroup and go back to the drawing board for another title run.
Alex Caruso Explodes With Regrets After OKC Thunder’s Game 7 Disappointment