Entering what many considered to be the most important game of the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander era, Sunday's Game 7 matinee was do or die for the OKC Thunder.
If the boys in blue took down Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City would make their first conference finals appearance since 2016. If they lost, their season would end on the spot, which would be a massive disappointment for one of the strongest analytical teams in league history.
While the two leading MVP candidates would throw heavy punches in the pivotal game, many knew the victor would be decided by which club's supporting cast stepped up.
In the end, Oklahoma City wound up taking over in the secondary player department, though, perhaps to the surprise of many, it wasn't their second All-Star, Jalen Williams, or the No. 2 overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren, leading the way.
Instead, it was Alex Caruso.
Alex Caruso proved to be ultimate X-factor for Thunder in Game 7 win
The 2024 NBA Hustle Award winner showcased why he earned such an underrated moniker in Game 7, as he was tasked with being Nikola Jokic's primary defender when on the court. The big man has been deemed by his peers and the media as the best player in the world and an unstoppable force.
So how would an aging, 6-foot-5 guard like Caruso wind up successfully guarding the 6-foot-11, 285-pound superstar?
Just like how NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett had suggested long ago -- by initiating "the fight early," and bumping him often.
Caruso did just that.
During his time matched up against Jokic, he gave the three-time MVP no space to breathe, despite the massive size disadvantage he was facing.
Often switching between fronting Jokic and separating him from the basket multiple times per possession, Caruso was relentless in his efforts.
While there were many pieces to the puzzle in defending the center, Caruso was the glue that kept it all together.
"If you're putting a 6-5 guard on a player like that, you need relentless help and relentless pressure on the entry passes, and it all works together," coach Mark Daigneault said during his post-game presser. "He had an amazing effort individually."
Caruso defended Jokic so well that when Holmgren was on him near the baseline, the veteran initiated a scram switch to make sure he could get back on Jokic himself.
He didn't get the starting nod, but finished the game with a +40 plus-minus in 25:45 minutes of game time, proving his value on the stat sheet.
He officially logged three steals on the night, but wreaked havoc all through the Nuggets' passing lanes, earning what will go down as unofficial credit for many of Denver's 22 turnovers.
For a historically youthful Thunder team that lacked veteran presence, the addition of Alex Caruso has done wonders for the team's playoff run.
"He's a player who rises to the occasion. He's a player that understands the moment and controls what he can control, and he does that at a very high level," Gilgeous-Alexander said post-game. "Nobody does that at a higher level than him that I've ever played with."
Caruso's value will be needed in the Western Conference Finals, as the Thunder will deal with yet another post-oriented bruising scorer in Julius Randle, who's having a playoff renaissance of his own.