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Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between San Antonio and Oklahoma City is in the books, and before we get to some takeaways and a best guess, I think we all need to pause for a moment just to catch our breath together.
Wow.
It was going to be hard to live up to the hype and anticipation going into this series. However, Game 1 not only lived up to it, but somehow exceeded it.
For the first time in 50 years, a Western Conference Finals game went to double overtime, with the Spurs winning 122-115 in an instant classic.
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The story of Game 1 was Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama, who dominated with 41 points and 24 rebounds, including a long 3-pointer to tie the game in the final seconds of the first overtime.
But with Game 2 set for Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, we have to turn our attention to the player who spent much of Game 1 defending Wembanyama. This player would have been the story if the Thunder had won, and he could be worth a bet at long-shot odds to win MVP in this series.
That player is Alex Caruso.
Caruso gives up about a foot in height to the towering Wembanyama, but spent most of Game 1 tormenting the Spurs’ big man while also scoring 31 points and finishing with eight 3-pointers.
Thunder big men – Chet Holmgren and Isiah Hartenstein – appear ill-equipped to handle Wembanyama, with Hartenstein playing just 12 of the 58 minutes despite being a regular starter for the defending world champions all season.
In 2015, we saw Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala win the Finals MVP at similar odds and in a similar fashion. Iguodala was rewarded with MVP honors in large part for his defense against LeBron James, and it’s possible that if the Thunder rally to win this series, voters could look to Caruso as the biggest reason.
Two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot just 7-for-23 in Game 1, while Chet Holmgren was held to just eight points. The way is there for Caruso to emerge as a contender for Series MVP, and at 100–1 odds, this is a bet worth making — even if it’s a small one.
PICK: Alex Caruso (+10000) Western Conference Finals MVP
