Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Summed Up Alex Caruso's NBA Finals Impact With One Word

The Oklahoma City Thunder received stellar contributions from forward Jalen Williams, a historic performance from guard Alex Caruso and a fourth quarter flurry from 2024-25 regular season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to storm back and win Game 4 of the NBA Finals 111-104, avoiding a 3-1 deficit to even the series at two games apiece. While Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth, will deservedly get most of the headlines, Caruso, who was a two-way force, also deserves some of the praise.

While speaking to reporters after the game Friday, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked to describe Caruso's impact—and the Thunder star came up with the perfect word.

"He's a winner," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "To put it all into one word. He does whatever it takes on any given night, whether it's making shots, whether it's deflections, whether it's a steal, whether it's a block—Whether it's a rebound. He does whatever it takes every night. He has a championship ring for a reason. It's no coincidence."

"He knows what it takes. He put the work in. And he's proving it every night. He's a big-time performer. Big-time teammate, big-time winner. If you want to win basketball games, you have a guy like that on your team. We're lucky to have him."

Numbers don't do Caruso's game justice—he often does all of the little things that don't show up on a stat sheet. But his stat sheet in these NBA Finals—and especially on Friday night—has been impressive. The Thunder veteran racked up 20 points and five steals, becoming the first player to record 20-plus points and five-plus steals off the bench in an NBA Finals game since 1974. Additionally, Caruso now has two 20-point games after having none during the entirety of the regular season.

Caruso, as Gilgeous-Alexander said, has a championship ring that he won during the 2019-20 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. And in the second Finals appearance of his career, the veteran guard is making winning plays to give himself a chance at adding a second to his collection.