If you thought the Western Conference Finals were going to be a clean sweep, you might want to grab some popcorn. Game 3 in Minnesota is already giving us EVERYTHING! The Timberwolves, down a desperate 0-2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, came out on their home floor breathing absolute fire, looking like a team possessed. But while the Wolves were busy electrifying the Target Center crowd, the Thunder were having what can only be described as a bizarre, rough start. And a key part of the struggle is Alex Caruso because officials are not letting him get away with any of his usual tricks.

Here’s the thing: OKC looked completely different from the team that dominated Games 1 and 2. They had a bad start, which festered into a catastrophic first half. The team, usually so cool and collected, was fumbling the bag. Turnovers piled up (more by mid-second quarter than in all of Game 2). Open looks for OKC? Mostly clanks, as they shot a miserable 30% from the field and 26.1% from deep. Their offense was stuck in the mud, and defensively, they were lagging. Then, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded just 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting with four turnovers, even enduring “free throw merchant” chants from Minnesota faithful.

Well, the fact that the team was in hostile territory did not help one bit. Seeing them this rattled and utterly dismantled by halftime–down by 31 points–was, frankly, a shock. Additionally, things got worse because the refs constantly had an eye on OKC’s Alex Caruso. We all know about his game. He’s an absolute pest in defense—in the best way possible. He’s all over you, super physical, great hands, always looking for that steal or deflection. So, when Coach Mark Daigneault threw him in early for Lu Dort, who was having a nightmare start himself trying to guard Ant, the whistles kept coming for Caruso.

Chris Hine of the Star Tribune dropped his observation on X: “Officials so far in this series not letting Alex Caruso get away with all the handsy stuff.” The player is often handsy and is accustomed to getting away with it. He also teleports through screens with his incredible timing. But despite the refs’ watchful eye in Game 3, Caruso was one of the few Thunder guys actually putting the ball in the hoop, even hitting a big three in that disastrous first quarter to match Ant’s 12 points for a hot minute.

 That kind of two-way effort is exactly why OKC brought him in, but on a night where the Thunder were getting absolutely steamrolled, even Caruso’s trademark hustle and timely buckets are just not cutting it. The Wolves were out for revenge. With their season on the line, backs against the wall, home crowd roaring–this was their moment. And Anthony Edwards? Man, Ant-Man was possessed.

He was draining threes, throwing down insane dunks, and had a cool 20 points by halftime on blistering 8-of-11 shooting. The Wolves were diving for everything, playing with high-level energy, and it translated into a historic offensive explosion–their 72 points were the most in any half in Timberwolves playoff history!

Is Alex Caruso OKC’s secret weapon (even when refs call it tight)?

Yes, Game 3’s first half was an absolute train wreck for OKC, plain and simple. But if we’re talking about the Thunder’s playoff journey as a whole, you can’t ignore the Alex Caruso effect. While SGA is rightfully stacking MVP votes and dropping jaws, there’s a very real argument that Caruso has been the Thunder’s unsung hero. He’s the kind of player whose true value is often debated by fans: Is he a defensive genius or just a guy who gets away with a lot?

Cast your mind back to that dogfight of a series against the Denver Nuggets. When the chips were down, who was Coach Mark Daigneault throwing into the fire, even asking him to body up Nikola Jokic at times, despite giving up inches and pounds? Yep, the Caru-Show. His basketball IQ is high.

After Caruso basically put on a defensive clinic in Game 7 against Denver–officially three steals, but unofficially about a million deflections and disrupted plays – SGA told ESPN’s Lisa Salters, “He’s special. His hands, his smarts, he knows what everyone’s supposed to do… Every team in the league would love to have a guy like that.” Coming from the MVP, that’s saying something.

So, what about this handsy stuff that’s got him under the microscope in this Timberwolves series? That’s the bread and butter of Caruso’s playing style. You see him jumping screens; Basically beating the offensive player to the spot so the screen becomes almost useless. It makes him incredibly tough to screen effectively, a nightmare for ball-handlers trying to get a clean look. He’s a master at making offensive players uncomfortable.

But here’s the problem: That style is a constant negotiation with the referees. Some nights, his active hands and body positioning are seen as just good, hard-nosed defense, and other nights, like it seems to be in this series against Minnesota, those same actions are getting him whistled. Does this aggressive, often borderline, style actually pay off for OKC? Most of the time, you’d have to say a resounding yes.

Moreover, when Caruso’s on the floor, opponents know they can’t afford a lazy pass or a sloppy dribble. He famously said after a game last month where he was particularly disruptive against bigger players, “That’s the only advantage I have… is the ball exposes itself… Sometimes we’re gonna foul, but a lot of times we’re gonna get deflections, we’re gonna get steals and we’re gonna be able to run.” That’s the gamble.

So, even if the refs are giving him the side-eye in this series, Caruso’s playoff DNA is exactly what the Thunder need if they’re going to make a deep run. What do you think?