For the second straight season, Oklahoma City topped the Western Conference in the record category, but this year they’ve been determined to not let their run be cut short again. One of the biggest reasons that this Thunder team was able to advance past last year’s shortcomings is the additional offseason reinforcements — like Alex Caruso.

Alex Caruso’s two-way play and defensive dominance have made him a critical X-factor in the Thunder’s push for an NBA championship.

The Thunder's do-it-all energizer and defensive menace has been a bigger part of the offense, and his playing time has increased accordingly in the most important games of the season.

After failing to score 20 points once in the regular season, Caruso has done it twice in the NBA Finals. In the season's biggest fourth quarter, the Thunder trusted the 31-year-old to close as the fifth player. The move paid off as it was OKC's turn to have a 20-point bench scorer.

Alex Caruso is one of the most impactful players on the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is competing in the NBA Finals.

On a night the Thunder scored the biggest win in franchise history, no player was more impactful than Alex Caruso. How he changed Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City is in a difficult spot — but one that’s all too familiar. This NBA Finals series is far from over, but this Thunder team can do itself a huge favo