On Sunday, the Nuggets and Thunder met in a vital game 7. Denver lived through the season with a Game 6 win last Thursday. They forced Sunday’s Game 7 between Denver and Oklahoma City.
A quarter later, the Nuggets took a 26-21 lead. The Thunder turned the switch over in the second quarter and never looked back. By halftime, the score was 60-49. Denver never got a chance in the second half and lost 125-93 to lightning. Veteran bench player Alex Caruso poses defensively in the 2025 playoffs. Against the Nuggets, Caruso became the third player in league history to have +40 box plus/minus in Game 7.
Alex Caruso’s value against lightning cannot be understated
Alex Caruso will become the third player in NBA history, bringing +40 in Game 7.
He is the first bench player to do so. pic.twitter.com/jmjg9rthmn
– Real Sports (@RealApp_) May 18, 2025
Oklahoma City scored the NBA’s highest record 68-14 in 2024-25. Despite their regular season domination, the Thunder still had suspicions about to head into the playoffs. This season, OKC has the youngest team in the NBA at average age. Aside from a few players, it’s relatively unproven in the postseason. The most experienced player in the OKC playoffs is Alex Caruso.
The 31-year-old is his eighth professional season, first with Thunder. After the 2023-24 season, the Bulls traded Alex Caruso for OKC in exchange for Josh Giddie. Alex Caruso was a key role player during the regular season. During the 2025 playoffs, he took the game to another level. This is expected from players like himself who have championship DNA.
Caruso scored 11 points, three assists and three steals against the nuggets in Game 7. While these numbers are far from flashy, Caruso’s plus/minus tells the story. He became the third player in league history with +40 box plus/minus in Game 7. Moreover, Caruso was the first bench player to achieve that feat. The 2020 NBA champion was defensively pest against three MVP Nikola Jokic in Game 7. OKC dominated the second half of that game, punching tickets into the Western Conference Finals.