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Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between San Antonio and Oklahoma City is in the books, and before we move on to some takeaways and best bets, I think we all need to pause for a moment just to catch our collective breath.
Wow.
It was going to be difficult to live up to the hype and anticipation for this series. However, the first game 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, clutch 3-pointer to tie the game in the final seconds of the first overtime.
However, with Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, we must 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 might be worth a long-term bet to win the MVP of this series.
This player is Alex Caruso.
Caruso gives up about a foot of height to the towering Wembanyama, but spent most of Game 1 harassing the Spurs big man, while scoring 31 points and connecting on eight 3-pointers.
The Thunder’s big men – Chet Holmgren and Isiah Hartenstein – appear ill-equipped to take on Wembanyama, with Hartenstein playing just 12 of 58 minutes despite being a regular starter for the reigning world champions all season.
In 2015, we saw Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala win Finals MVP at similar odds and in the same manner. Iguodala was awarded MVP honors largely for his defense against LeBron James, and it’s possible that if the Thunder rally to win this series, voters could see Caruso as the main reason.
Two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot just 7 of 23 in Game 1, while Chet Holmgren was held to just eight points. The path is there for Caruso to emerge as a candidate for series MVP and, with odds of 100-1, it’s a bet worth making – even if it’s a small one.
PICK: Alex Caruso (+10,000) Western Conference Finals MVP
