On Sunday, the Nuggets and Thunder met for a pivotal Game 7. Denver kept its season alive with a win in Game 6 last Thursday. That forced Sunday’s Game 7 between Denver and Oklahoma City.
After one quarter, the Nuggets had a 26-21 lead. The Thunder flipped a switch in the second quarter and never looked back. By halftime, the score was 60-49. Denver never stood a chance in the second half and lost 125-93 to the Thunder. Veteran bench player Alex Caruso has been a menace defensively in the 2025 playoffs. Against the Nuggets, Caruso became the third player in league history to have a +40 box plus/minus in Game 7.
Alex Caruso’s value to the Thunder cannot be understated
Alex Caruso becomes just the 3rd player in NBA history to be +40 in a Game 7.
He’s the first bench player to do so. pic.twitter.com/JMJG9RTHmn
— Real Sports (@realapp_) May 18, 2025
Oklahoma City had the best record in the NBA in 2024-25 at 68-14. Despite their dominance in the regular season, the Thunder still had doubters heading into the playoffs. This season, OKC has the youngest team in the NBA by average age. They’re relatively unproven in the postseason except for a few players. The most experienced player in the playoffs for OKC is Alex Caruso.
The 31-year-old is in his eighth professional season and first with the Thunder. After the 2023-24 season, the Bulls traded Alex Caruso to OKC in exchange for Josh Giddey. Alex Caruso was a key role player during the regular season. During the 2025 playoffs, he’s taken his game to another level. This is expected from a player like himself, who has championship DNA.
Against the Nuggets in Game 7, Caruso had 11 points, three assists, and three steals. While those numbers are far from flashy, Caruso’s plus/minus tells the story. He became the third player in league history to have a +40 box plus/minus in Game 7. Additionally, Caruso was the first bench player to accomplish that feat. The 2020 NBA champion was a pest defensively against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in Game 7. OKC dominated the second half of that game and punched their ticket to the Western Conference Final.
