Alex Caruso's Game-Changer Batters Through Lightning Strikes in Thunder's Block-Off Showdown
When Caruso's left sneaker came off in the second quarter, he picked it up and got creative on defense.
After going undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2016, Alex Caruso spent the early part of his pro career doing everything he could to carve out a role for himself in the NBA. Eventually, he became one of the league's most tenacious defenders. Now a two-time NBA All-Defensive Team honoree, Caruso has proven he'll do whatever it takes on that end of the floor.
The 32-year-old guard took that sentence to another level on Tuesday, and it humorously cost him. When Caruso's left sneaker came off in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic, he picked it up and got creative on defense. Alex Caruso ended up receiving a tech for using his shoe on this play š pic.
twitter. com/fuDU9hpavW ā NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 18, 2026 [ Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season ] Playing help defense in the paint, Caruso swiped his lost shoe at the left hand of Magic forward Tristan da Silva, who was going up for a layup. Caruso made contact with the ball, and it came loose, ricocheting off da Silva's arm and flying out of bounds.
Except, rather than resulting in an Orlando turnover, the play wound up with Caruso receiving a technical foul and the Magic being awarded the two points da Silva could have scored otherwise, plus the subsequent free throw due to Caruso being T'd up. That sequence assisted Orlando's comeback effort. The Magic drew within one point of the Thunder by halftime.