Alex Caruso didn't waste any time making his presence felt in Phoenix. Less than a minute into his first shift at the arena formerly known as Footprint Center, the 32-year-old guard read the play perfectly—anticipating a wayward pass from Jalen Green meant for Devin Booker. Caruso picked it off cleanly and sprinted the other way for a two-handed dunk that set the tone for the night.
That moment encapsulated why Caruso is the definition of a playoff riser. After a so-so regular season, he's flipped the switch when it matters most. In Game 4, Caruso poured in 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a scorching 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, to go with four rebounds and a steal. His performance helped the Oklahoma City Thunder complete a Round 1 sweep of the Phoenix Suns with a 131-122 victory.
Some players are built for the regular season grind. Caruso? He's a 16-game player—the kind who elevates when the lights shine brightest. Coming off the worst outside shooting season of his career (29.3% from three), he's transformed into a flamethrower in this series. The playoffs have reignited his jumper and unleashed his chaotic, disruptive defense.
When the Suns came out blazing, Caruso answered with 11 points in the first quarter alone. After drilling his third three-pointer, he even went for a heat check that barely missed. Though his jumper cooled, his defensive impact never wavered—making him a must-play the rest of the way. Quarterbacking the Thunder defense, Caruso anticipated every Suns move. Booker never looked comfortable in the series, and Green reverted to high-volume, low-efficiency scoring. A lot of that credit goes to Caruso.
Over the four games, Caruso averaged nine points, four rebounds, and 1.8 steals while shooting an eye-popping 47.1% from three on 4.3 attempts—a complete reversal from his regular-season struggles. Teammate Isaiah Hartenstein summed it up best: "I just think he's really big for our team. The last two games, he was huge. Knowing that you have someone like that on a team you can trust... when the big moments come, he's ready. I think that's what he does, probably one of the best in the league."