Alex Caruso pays sincere tribute to Caitlin Clark in NBA Finals Game 1 against Indiana Pacers
The OKC Thunder guard Alex Caruso paid tribute to Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
The 31-year-old former Texas A&M player took the Paycom Center floor in Oklahoma City for their NBA Finals series opener against the Indiana Pacers wearing Clark's Nike Kobe 5 Protro "Player Exclusive" shoes in the "Indiana Fever" colorway.
Alex Caruso and the Thunder had steady control of Game 1 until the Pacers staged a major comeback in the fourth quarter.
Indiana completed the 111-110 comeback victory with Tyrese Haliburton scoring the game-winning basket with 0.3 seconds left in the game.
OKC was led in the game by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 38 points. Jalen Williams had 17 points while Caruso had all-around numbers of 11 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks.
The Pacers saw six players score in double-digits, led by Pascal Siakam's 19 points. Game hero Haliburton, meanwhile, had 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Alex Caruso thrilled to be back in the NBA Finals
The ongoing NBA Finals are the second for Alex Caruso, and he is thrilled to be back for the ride.
The eight-year veteran guard from Texas was part of the LA Lakers team that won the NBA title in the bubble in 2020. He is now looking to add another championship this time with the OKC Thunder.
Speaking with media ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, Alex Caruso recalled the feeling he had when he made first trip to the Big Dance.
“The finals in the bubble still had the tangible feel of a finals. You knew what was up for grabs. That adrenaline before the game, obviously, I don’t think it would probably be the same adrenaline level that you feel with fans, just being on the other side of it now. But understanding what’s at stake was still very apparent,” Caruso said.
He went on to say that he is basking in his role as one of the vocal leaders in the Thunder as they go for the title.
“You don’t have to do anything special. You just have to be who we are. That’s worked for us throughout this whole year. So I’m just continuing to emphasize with the guys, just do what we’ve done all year. Compete at a high level, play together, play as a team. When we do that, we’re pretty good.”
Caruso and the Thunder will look to even up the NBA Finals in Game 2 of the series on Sunday, also in OKC.