Alex Caruso, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s perfect Robin

At the most delicate moment of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have once again found their go-to guy for impossible missions. It’s not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who continues to dominate as an unquestioned superstar, and it’s not even one of the young talents drawing attention around the NBA. The player shifting the momentum of the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs is Alex Caruso.

Yes, him.

While the spotlight was focused on the duel between Shai and Victor Wembanyama, on Chet Holmgren’s impact, or on Jalen Williams’ injury, Caruso took over the series in the way he knows best: by doing everything necessary to win.

And it’s becoming impossible to ignore.

Alex Caruso delivering in the 2026 NBA Playoffs

With Jalen Williams sidelined because of a hamstring issue and Ajay Mitchell limited by a calf injury, OKC desperately needed someone capable of easing the offensive burden on Gilgeous-Alexander.

After the crushing Game 4 loss in San Antonio, the series suddenly felt different. The Spurs had seized the momentum, and for the first time the Thunder looked truly vulnerable.

Then came Game 5.

Despite suffering an ankle sprain in the first half, Caruso returned from the locker room and completely changed the tone of the game. Twenty-two points off the bench, four made threes, eight perfect free throws, six assists and three steals. Massive numbers, but more importantly, massive plays at every key moment.

Every time Oklahoma City needed a defensive stop, a steal or a basket to break San Antonio’s rhythm, he delivered.

And that’s where the most fascinating comparison of these playoffs was born: Shai is Batman, Caruso is Robin.

The Thunder’s silent leader

What makes all of this even more impressive is that it’s not coming from a player built to be an offensive star. Caruso isn’t the classic highlight-machine talent, he doesn’t have the unreal physical tools of other NBA players, nor the technical arsenal of a superstar.

But he competes like very few others.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander explained it perfectly after Game 5:

He’s not a physically overwhelming talent. He’s not one of those guys with crazy length or an unreal jumper, but he’s one of the best competitors in the entire NBA. He proves it every single night

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

And that mentality is exactly what makes him indispensable.

Caruso brings the Thunder something no stat sheet can fully capture: championship experience, leadership and composure in the biggest moments.

Not surprisingly, Shai also highlighted another crucial aspect:

He’s the player with the most championships on this team. He’s played in more big games than all of us. You can’t artificially create that kind of experience

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The numbers against the Spurs

Caruso’s series against San Antonio is becoming historic.

Through the first five games of the Western Conference Finals, the veteran is averaging:

• 17 points per game
• 56.8% shooting from the field
• 58.1% from three-point range
• 3.6 made threes per game
• 1.6 steals per game

All of that while coming off the bench and playing fewer than 25 minutes per game.

And there’s one stat that perfectly explains how much he has elevated his game in the postseason: during the regular season he shot 29.3% from three, while in the playoffs he has jumped to 47.7%.

A staggering leap.

With the four threes he knocked down in Game 5, Caruso also set the record for most three-pointers made off the bench in a single NBA Conference Finals series.

The trade that changed Oklahoma City

Looking at Caruso’s impact now, it’s impossible not to go back to the trade with the Chicago Bulls.

Sam Presti gave up Josh Giddey without attaching extra draft picks, bringing to Oklahoma City a player who has turned out to be a perfect fit for the Thunder system.

Giddey may still become the face of the Bulls, but based on how things are unfolding, this deal already looks like a complete win for OKC.

Because Caruso hasn’t just improved the defense or added experience. He has brought a winning mentality to a very young group that, until recently, had no idea what it meant to play elimination-style basketball.

And now the results are there for everyone to see.

The symbol of big moments

Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen. Steph Curry had Klay Thompson.

The comparison may sound outrageous, but in these playoffs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has found his perfect running mate in Alex Caruso.

Not because they’re on the same technical level as those NBA legends, but because in the biggest moments there’s always someone ready to complete the superstar’s work.

And right now, nobody is helping the Thunder more than Alex Caruso.

If Oklahoma City reaches the NBA Finals – and maybe even wins another championship – Caruso’s fingerprints will be all over it.