2026 NBA Playoff Odds: Why Alex Caruso Is Best Bet To Win WCF MVP

Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between San Antonio and Oklahoma City is in the books, and before we get to some takeaways and a best bet, I think we all need to pause for a moment just to catch our collective breath. 

Wow.

It was going to be hard to live up to the hype and anticipation going into this series. However, Game 1 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 set for Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, we have to turn our attention to the player that spent a lot of Game 1 defending Wembanyama. This player would have been the story had the Thunder won, and he might be worth a bet at long-shot odds to win MVP of this series.

That player is Alex Caruso.

Caruso is giving up roughly a foot in height to the towering Wembanyama but spent most of Game 1 pestering the Spurs' big man, while also scoring 31 points and connecting on eight 3-pointers. 

The Thunder big men — Chet Holmgren and Isiah Hartenstein — seem ill-equipped to deal with Wembanyama, with Hartenstein playing just 12 of the 58 minutes, despite being a regular starter for the defending world champions all season. 

In 2015, we saw Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala snag Finals MVP at similar