<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/thunder-alex-caruso-agree-to-4-year-81-million-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder, Alex Caruso agree to 4-year, $81 million contract extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_1122.jpeg"></figure><h1>Thunder, Alex Caruso agree to 4-year, $81 million contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T16:33:59-08:00">December 22nd, 4:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T16:33:19-08:00">December 22nd, 4:33pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Oklahoma City <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-why-are-clear-title-favorite-per-analyst">Thunder are looking like legitimate title contenders</a> this season, and a big reason why has been the addition of Alex Caruso. The Thunder acquired Caruso in an offseason trade with the Chicago Bulls, and they’re keeping him around long-term. The Thunder and Alex Caruso <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1870969883045044626" rel="noopener">agreed to a four-year</a> contract extension worth around $81 million, as per Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>Alex Caruso’s new contract extension will keep him in a Thunder jersey through the 2028-29 season. More importantly, it ensures that Caruso bypasses free agency this coming offseason when his current deal was set to expire. He undoubtedly would have been a highly-coveted player on the free agent market.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-bulls-thunder-alex-caruso-josh-giddey-trade">Caruso arrived in Oklahoma City via an offseason trade</a> with the Bulls that sent former lottery pick Josh Giddey to the Bulls. Caruso has fit in perfectly with the Thunder, especially on the defensive end, and his presence off the bench is a big reason why they are title contenders.</p><p>Caruso has appeared in 19 games for the Thunder this season at a little over 20 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 5.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.9 steals with splits of 38.5 percent shooting from the field, 27 percent shooting from the three-point line and 77.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>His steals are a career-high. While his shooting percentages are where you want them to be, it’s been offset by his impact defensively.</p><p>He began his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-way contract after going undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft. Caruso spent four seasons with the Lakers, eventually earning a standard contract, and was a key contributor on their 2020 NBA title winning team.</p><p>Caruso spent three seasons with the Bulls and averaged a career-high 10.1 points last year. The Thunder are currently in first place in the Western Conference standings with a record of 22-5.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder, Alex Caruso agree to 4-year, $81 million contract extension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/thunder-news-alex-caruso-honest-admission-how-relates-lu-dort');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder veteran Alex Caruso’s honest admission on how he relates to Lu Dort');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thunder-news-Alex-Carusos-honest-admission-on-how-he-relates-to-Lu-Dort.jpg"></figure><h1>Thunder veteran Alex Caruso’s honest admission on how he relates to Lu Dort</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T14:12:37-08:00">December 20th, 2:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T14:12:37-08:00">December 20th, 2:12pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Before facing the Orlando Magic on Thursday, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso shared his many parallels with fellow veteran Lu Dort. After head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-mark-daigneault-honest-take-lu-dort-contagious-approach" rel="noopener">Mark Daigneault gushed over Dort’s longevity with the team</a> and the leadership that comes with it, Caruso talked about how one of the longest-tenured Thunder players’ paths and style of play is reminiscent of his own. </p><p>It’s one of many reasons Caruso <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0ts92sOOH4&amp;t=313s" rel="noopener">admires</a> Dort’s relentless approach. Dort is an undersized guard who went undrafted in 2019.</p><p>“There’s a pride for sure. Lu kind of had a similar path to me where he kind of had to go two-way and earn it, and now he’s turned himself into one of the most reputable defenders in the league where people know who he is and what he stands for,” Caruso said. “So, just the confidence and the level of swagger, whether offensively or defensively, that he plays with goes a long way with the team.”</p><p>Caruso went undrafted in 2016, showcasing himself on the Philadelphia 76ers’ summer league team before signing with the Thunder and joining their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. He then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 and was a vital part of their championship run in 2020.</p><p>Caruso averaged 6.5 points, 2.8 assists, and 0.7 blocks in 24.3 minutes per game throughout the postseason.</p><h2><b>Alex Caruso reminisces over Lu Dort defending him in games</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thunder-guard-Lu-Dort_e8a899.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Amid his first season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-sam-presti-explains-biggest-hold-up-potential-alex-caruso-contract-extension">Alex Caruso could sign an extension soon</a> as he’s in the final year of his three-year, $36.9 million contract. The Chicago Bulls traded him to the Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey over the summer, which meant he wouldn’t have to face Lu Dort twice a year anymore.</p><p>Caruso revealed Dort often defended him whenever they played against each other, and things rarely went well on nights he faced the Thunder.</p><p>“Not fun. He makes life miserable for people, and that’s what makes him such a good player,” Caruso said. “I think offensively this year, I’ve been able to see him play a little more.”</p><p>When a reporter asked Caruso if Dort dives for loose balls more than any other player on the team, he jumped into the conversation. Then, he explained how refreshing it is to have a teammate who approaches the game similarly.</p><p>“It’s energizing [when] you see somebody giving up their body for the team [in] game 20 of the season,” Caruso said. “That’s the stuff that I’ve done in my career, and I appreciate. It doesn’t go overlooked.”</p><p>Caruso has the utmost respect for Dort’s hustle.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder veteran Alex Caruso’s honest admission on how he relates to Lu Dort

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/thunder-news-alex-caruso-reveals-secret-key-success');   ga('set', 'title', 'Alex Caruso reveals secret key to Thunder’s success');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thunder-news-Alex-Caruso-reveals-secret-key-to-Oklahoma-Citys-success.jpg"></figure><h1>Alex Caruso reveals secret key to Thunder’s success</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-14T09:07:39-08:00">December 14th, 9:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-14T09:07:39-08:00">December 14th, 9:07am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the Oklahoma City Thunder prepare for their NBA Cup semifinal matchup against the Houston Rockets, veteran guard Alex Caruso shared why 2024-25 has been such a success. With the best record in the Western Conference and a four-game winning streak, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-are-only-nba-team-achieve-this-eye-opening-stat">Thunder’s astonishing steal-to-turnover ratio</a> puts them in a league of their own. However, Caruso says the key to Oklahoma City’s success is the players’ desire to improve while holding one another accountable.</p><p>Caruso also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxoAC4Dc-WM" rel="noopener">credits</a> the front office for meticulously assembling the ideal core of young players who align with the Thunder organization’s standards. </p><p>“They all have the same focus, which is they want to get better. They want to be the best versions of themselves. They want to compete. They want to win basketball games,” Caruso said. “Then, ultimately, the organization has just done a great job bringing guys in that want to represent everything that OKC is about; team first from Shai down to our two-way guys [and] E-10 guys.</p><p>“Everyone is treated the same, and everyone is held to the same standard and accountability. With an atmosphere and culture like that, it makes it really easy for really good basketball players to thrive,” Caruso concluded.</p><p>When the Chicago Bulls traded Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey, the All-Defensive guard quickly adapted to Oklahoma City. He now anchors the second unit’s backcourt and looks forward to competing in the final rounds of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas.</p><p>“The ability to do this during the season is a big responsibility, but it’s a big opportunity for us just to be able to break the norm of the season,” Caruso said. “Kind of that gridlock of 25 games in, you’re like halfway to All-Star break almost. This is kind of more of a mental refresher that I think is going to be really beneficial. But also the ability to showcase the team we have. We got a bunch of guys that are really good basketball players, really competitive, and really close.”</p><h2><b>Thunder are the only NBA team to reach this eye-opening stat</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thunder-head-coach-Mark-Daigneault_085094.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thunder coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-mark-daigneault-addresses-previous-shortcomings-rockets" rel="noopener">Mark Daigneault addressed the Thunder’s shortcomings against the Rockets</a> but anticipates an increased effort in the NBA Cup semifinals. Heading into Saturday’s showdown, the Thunder are the only team in the association with more steals (292) than turnovers (265).</p><p>It’s an impressive stat, especially this deep into the regular season. Alex Caruso (30) cracks the top 4 for Thunder players with the most steals. Jalen Williams leads the pack with 49 steals, with Cason Wallace (43) and All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (42) close behind.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Alex Caruso reveals secret key to Thunder’s success

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/thunder-news-alex-caruso-reveals-business-like-approach-nba-cup-showdown-vs-mavericks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Alex Caruso reveals business-like approach to NBA Cup showdown vs. Mavericks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thunder-news-Alex-Caruso-reveals-business-like-approach-to-NBA-Cup-showdown-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Alex Caruso reveals business-like approach to NBA Cup showdown vs. Mavericks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-10T13:00:59-08:00">December 10th, 1:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-10T13:00:59-08:00">December 10th, 1:00pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso reminded reporters of how his team’s playoff run ended against the Dallas Mavericks last season, using the pronoun “we” when he was still a member of the Chicago Bulls in 2023-24. On Tuesday, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-vs-mavericks-nba-cup-results-according-to-nba-2k25">Thunder face the Mavericks in the NBA </a><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-vs-mavericks-nba-cup-results-according-to-nba-2k25" rel="noopener">Cup’</a>s semifinal knockout round with a chance to avenge their Western Conference semifinals loss at the Paycom Center.</p><p>A reporter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4JoikLYujE&amp;t=221s" rel="noopener">asked</a> Caruso if there’s extra motivation for the Thunder heading into Tuesday’s matchup.</p><p>“Maybe a little bit. But for the most part, this is routine for us,” Caruso said. “We show up, go to work. Prepare the same way. Obviously, we know what’s at stake with the Cup game. Some of the young guys want that extra payday, and that’s some of the motivation, too. There’s some good energy behind that. But for us, it’s pretty standard like show up to work, get your business done. Get ready.”</p><p>After advancing from the group stage of the NBA Cup, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-jalen-williams-reveals-secret-money-inspiration-nba-cup">Jalen Williams revealed Jaylin Williams’ desire to win</a> it all as a motivating factor for his teammates. The Thunder are dedicating their run to their injured center. However, Caruso knows beating the Western Conference champion Mavs won’t be easy.</p><p>“For them, it’s just about picking their momentum from where they were last year, and I think they’re doing that,” Caruso said. “They’re giving good enough efforts defensively to compete, and then offensively, obviously, their talent speaks for themselves. They have great big that complement Luka and Kyrie, and shooting around that. I think if we play the way we’re supposed to play, obviously, we can beat any team in the league. But they’re a really good team, and we have to play well.”</p><p>The Mavericks enters Tuesday’s matchup on a seven-game winning streak and has won eleven of its last twelve games.</p><h2><b>Jalen Williams drops harsh take on Thunder’s second-half struggles</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thunder-forward-Jalen-Williams-1-1.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso and the Thunder must get off to a strong start and maintain their composure throughout the game’s four quarters. After the Pelicans trimmed a 30-point deficit down to nine in the fourth quarter, it posed the kind of threat that could have cost Oklahoma City the game.</p><p>“We started well, playing hard to start the game. We sucked the rest of the game like the second half was bad,” Williams said. “The way our start was, and how we’ve started like that in the past, we’ve been able to maintain that the whole game.”</p><p>In the end, the Thunder beat the Pelicans 119-109.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Alex Caruso reveals business-like approach to NBA Cup showdown vs. Mavericks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-thunder-prioritize-alex-caruso-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Thunder prioritizing Alex Caruso extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-rumors-Thunder-prioritizing-Alex-Caruso-extension.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Thunder prioritizing Alex Caruso extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T14:55:05-08:00">December 2nd, 2:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-03T12:39:21-08:00">December 3rd, 12:39pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Oklahoma City Thunder head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-alex-caruso-okc-coach-message-bulls-trade">Mark Daigneault smiled when the front office acquired Alex Caruso</a>. The All-Defensive Second Team guard was dealt to Oklahoma City in exchange for Josh Giddey. In the final year of his four-year, $36.9 million contract, Thunder’s Caruso is in line for a contract extension.</p><p>With two All-Defensive Team selections under his belt, including Second (2023-24) and First Team (2022-23) nods, Caruso <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/top-nba-trade-candidates-for-the-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">should receive</a> a sizable pay increase, per HoopsHype’s Michael Sotto.</p><p>“The next item on Presti’s agenda is expected to be contract extension discussions in December with guard Alex Caruso, who was acquired from the Bulls in exchange for Josh Giddey this offseason,” Sotto says. “Caruso is expected to receive a sizable pay raise from his current $9.89 million salary.”</p><p>Caruso is averaging 5.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game for the Thunder this season. The numbers don’t always justify Alex’s value to Oklahoma City. However, a nagging hip injury that sidelined Caruso for seven of the Thunder’s first 20 games of the regular season hasn’t helped him adapt to the offense.</p><p>However, in a deep Thunder backcourt led by All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and rookie Ajay Mitchell, there’s rarely a shortage of offense amid the Thunder’s unpreceded start to 2024-25. Still, Caruso’s championship pedigree (2019-20 Lakers), coupled with his veteran leadership, gives the Thunder’s backcourt a defensive anchor. They’ve strengthened their identity on that end of the floor, where Caruso should remain for the foreseeable future.</p><h2><b>Mark Daigneault’s ‘mental toughness’ take on Thunder guards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Thunder-guard-Ajay-Mitchell.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder have plenty of options in the backcourt outside Alex Caruso. The Thunder’s depth of guards thickened with the emergence of second-round draft pick Ajay Mitchell and the development of second-year guards Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-mark-daigneault-mental-toughness-take-guards">Daigneault talked about his guards’ mental toughness</a> after Oklahoma City’s 119-116 loss to the Houston Rockets Sunday night.</p><p>Daigneault <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_kjrpnfxMY&amp;t=311s" rel="noopener">highlighted</a> veteran Lu Dort, Wallace, and Joe as examples of his guards demonstrating their mental toughness in their ability to make big shots amid mid-game shooting slumps.</p><p>“Mitchell, the other night, was 1-for-8 against Golden State. He hit that one in the corner,” Daigneault said. “Isaiah Joe was 0-for-6; he hit the one late in the game. Dort has been in a little bit of a slump, dealing with his finger. Then, he hit four of them the other night. I think the mental toughness of the team was on display. Cason is in that category.”</p><p>The Thunder will look to advance to the elimination round of the NBA Cup with a win against the Jazz on Tuesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Thunder prioritizing Alex Caruso extension

Jamal Crawford

RJ Barrett

Lou Williams

Gordon Hayward

Alex Caruso

Josh Hart

Julius Randle

Nicolas Batum

Serge Ibaka

Rajon Rondo

2019-20 NBA Champ

2022-23 All-Defensive

2x All-Defensive

2020 NBA Champ

Los Angeles Lakers

Chicago Bulls

Oklahoma City Thunder

1 season

Career

2 seasons

https://twitter.com/ACFresh21/status/1651329562616242176/

Haaland letting the hair flow before final whistle is so disrespectful 😭😭

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https://twitter.com/ACFresh21/status/1632258570992353282/

https://twitter.com/ACFresh21/status/1632249369977036801/

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.5	2.9	2.5	0.6	1.9

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.5	2.9	2.5	0.6	1.9

Alex
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