On Monday night, the OKC Thunder unsurprisingly topped the Phoenix Suns to complete their four-game sweep.
While no one ever truly gave the Suns a fighting chance in the series, the first three games raised questions about the Thunder's prowess in specific areas, namely their perimeter scoring efficiency.
They used Game 4 to answer this definitively.
OKC shot a torrid 50.0 percent from deep, with their bench alone shooting 53.0 percent from long-range.
The shooting contagion couldn't have come at a better time, as it followed a trio of games in which the club's second unit struggled to provide any consistent perimeter value.
From Games 1 through 3, the Thunder bench shot just 30.6 percent on three pointers. Inconsistent play from the likes of Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe headlined the unit.
While Joe had just six points in Game 4, Wallace showed signs of life on offense, logging 10 points on seven shots, while making two of his three attempts from deep.
Most notably, Thunder fans got confirmation that Playoff Caruso is officially back.
Alex Caruso cashed in on seven shots in 10 tries from deep over the last two games of the series, leading the team over that span.
With their second unit finding its form at the exact right time, the Thunder are looking more potent than ever heading into the Western Conference Semifinals.
Thunder will need all the shooting help they can get from their bench
The Thunder seemingly found their stroke just in time. It just so happens that their most likely next two opponents are also the two best three-point shooting teams in the playoffs thus far.
The Los Angeles Lakers have shot 40.8 percent from three in their lopsided series against the Rockets. They lead the playoffs in overall field goal percentage at 50.9 percent as well.
San Antonio, the team many have pegged as OKC's biggest threat to their title hopes, leads all teams in the postseason with a 41.8 percent three-point percentage.
While coach Mark Daigneault and the Thunder pride themselves on not needing to solely rely on shots falling to win ball games, bench scoring will certainly help against what looks to be an offensive juggernaut out in San Antonio.
The second unit finding its stroke will likely take a healthy-sized load off the shoulders of superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has had to bear the brunt of Jalen Williams' hamstring injury thus far.
Gilgeous-Alexander has had 42 and 31 points in the two games since J-Dub's injury.
OKC is anxiously awaiting Williams' return, but in the meantime, its bench may have to sustain its newfound offensive ways.
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