This is why the Thunder craved Caruso — for his championship experience and obviously for his dogged defensive mentality. He’s now the first guard off the bench in most situations, and his value soared in the semifinals when he was asked to help check Nikola Jokić, of all people.

After a dominating second half in Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder took a commanding lead in the Western Conference Finals on Thursday with newly named Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous Alexander at the help.

Oklahoma City dominated the first two games of the Western Conference Finals and will need big games from its bench to continue that trend. The Thunder’s first

Goldstein often travels from game to game, often watching different NBA series during the playoffs. See some of his best looks.