Mark Daigneault praised one of his key rotation pieces after he made a huge impact in the OKC Thunder’s Game 4 win over the Indiana Pacers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. They’ve now tied the series 2-2, as they head back to play Game 5 at home on Monday.
The Thunder bounced back after what was an abysmal performance from them in Game 3. Draymond Green, in particular, was irate about the style of play the Thunder allowed the Pacers to get away with.
Speaking of Green, he had identified Alex Caruso as the Thunder’s third-best player. Green isn’t alone in praising the former NBA Champion.
Kendrick Perkins echoed those sentiments, calling Caruso the Thunder’s secret weapon against Pascal Siakam.
Caruso proved both of them right with a strong defensive performance against the Pacers in Game 4. Even Thunder coach Mark Daigneault had to acknowledge the star’s presence.
Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty ImagesMark Daigneault calls Alex Caruso a competitive monster
Speaking after the Thunder’s Game 4 win, Mark Daigneault addressed Alex Caruso’s strong outing against the Pacers.
While Caruso’s struggles in Game 3 were quite poor, he praised the former NBA champion for his competitiveness and stepping up when the team needed him to.
“He’s a competitive monster, clearly. And he has proven that time and again, over his career. Certainly, in these playoffs. He was huge tonight, offensively, early in the game.”
Caruso had a phenomenal game, coming off the bench to score 20 points and getting five steals on the defensive end.
Game 4 was Caruso’s chance to remind NBA fans why he was such a coveted piece of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 2020 NBA championship win. And it’s safe to say he made the most of that chance.
Alex Caruso calls himself the Robin of the OKC Thunder
Alex Caruso spoke to reporters after Game 4. When someone asked him what type of superhero he would compare himself to, Caruso didn’t hesitate.
He immediately named Robin as his superhero comparison. Caruso explained that, similar to the Boy Wonder, he is surrounded by superior players, but can still make a big impact.
“For the superhero reference? We’ll just do Robin. Because that seems to be the only one that I can make some similarities to. I got better players around me that are doing more.”
Caruso’s teammates have applauded the veteran for leaving it all on the floor on a nightly basis. Perhaps the star is right in comparing himself to Robin.
Regardless of what comparisons you can make for him, there is no denying that Caruso is having a real impact on these NBA Finals.
Caruso is delivering a sensational Sixth Man run for the Thunder, averaging 14.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in the NBA Finals.
If he replicates his Game 4 performance for the rest of the series, the Thunder have a strong chance of winning the NBA championship.