Thursday night, the OKC Thunder pulled off one of the largest comebacks in recent NBA playoff history, as they overcame what was once a 29-point deficit and, ultimately, pulled away with a six-point edge by the time the final buzzer sounded, winning Game 3 by a final score of 114-108.
While there were certainly several individuals who played a key role in Oklahoma City's epic turnaround, perhaps no one's efforts were more impactful than veteran wing Alex Caruso's.
As has been the case throughout his debut campaign in the Sooner State and, more topical, during these early stages of the postseason, the 31-year-old's contributions aren't necessarily bound to catch the eye of the mere casual viewer.
In this modern era of play, many fans and spectators are more drawn toward offensive production and point totals, which, simply put, is not Caruso's M.O.
Alex Caruso hypes himself up following Thunder comeback vs Grizzlies
While his 10 points and 3 assists on 57.1 percent shooting were certainly helpful, they are far from the type of metrics that tend to draw much outside attention. Fortunately for him, this team has relied heavily on its defensive play to win games in 2024-25, and, in Game 3, this was clearly on full display, with the two-guard leading the charge on this side of the ball.
An absolute pest in the passing lanes and in both help and on-ball defense, Caruso served as a thorn in the side of Memphis throughout the night, especially during their second-half comeback run.
In the final two periods alone, he would record 4 steals and a block while deflecting several passes and diving on the floor for several loose balls.
Following the contest, Caruso's hustle and defensive excellence received serious praise from TNT's Inside the NBA crew, with Charles Barkley specifically saying to him, "You were fantastic tonight."
In response to the praise, the veteran went on to hype himself up in a major way, kicking off his boastful response by simply saying, "That's what I do!"
"I think everybody got to see a little bit of that the last couple of years when I was in Chicago and now being here with the Thunder," Caruso said. "Check the resume. I got a first and a second team [All-Defensive selection]."
On a team that ranked first in the entire league in defensive rating this season, it requires a truly special performance on that end of the ball for one sole individual to stand out among the rest.
During Game 3, such a performance was had by Alex Caruso and, as a result, the Thunder find themselves up 3-0 in this first-round series with a chance to close things out in Saturday's Game 4.