Draymond Green Sends Major Alex Caruso Message During Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Oklahoma City Thunder reestablished their dominance Sunday night when they defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, 123-107. The Thunder were shocked by the Pacers in Game 1 when Tyrese Haliburton drained a shot with just 0.3 seconds remaining after Oklahoma City led every second until that point.
But in Game 2, it was the Thunder team we were used to seeing. They wreaked havoc on the defensive end, forcing Indiana to work incredibly hard for every shot and basket. While the Thunder tied the series at one game apiece, there are likely many who are outright shocked that the Thunder aren’t heading to Indiana up 2-0.
Draymond Green sends major Alex Caruso message during the NBA Finals
As if the Thunder defense wasn’t stifling enough in the regular season, finishing as the No. 1 ranked team in terms of defensive efficiency, they took it to another level in Game 2. One person who has taken notice of
One player who has been a major factor in both games thus far is Alex Caruso and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has taken notice.
“When I look at this OKC team, I actually think the third-most-important player is Alex Caruso …. I think Caruso is so important to what they do, and I feel like you never game plan for him,” said Green. “So, because you don’t game plan for him, he comes into these Finals and he goes crazy. But the reality is, he’s a champion, so he actually knows what to expect.”
Draymond Green says Alex Caruso is the Thunder’s third-most important player
“When I look at this OKC team, I actually think the third-most-important player is Alex Caruso …. I think Caruso is so important to what they do and I feel like you never game plan for him. So because… pic.twitter.com/fS16aXJax2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 10, 2025
In Game 1, he scored 11 points and was pivotal on defense. He finished with three steals and two blocks while securing six rebounds.
In Game 2, he tied his scoring high in these playoffs with 20 points on 6-for-11 shooting and 4-for-8 from deep. While he doesn’t start, his imprint has already been made on these finals.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.