Thunder star explains team's mentality after Tyrese Haliburton injury, addresses viral melancholy celebrations
The Indiana Pacers were the definition of blood, sweat and tears throughout their postseason run.
They went all the way to Game 7 of the NBA Finals thanks to amazing comebacks and unforgettable moments.
Tyrese Haliburton had a few of those, both positive and negative. He had two series-changing shots in the playoffs, but playing with a bum calf in Game 7 on Sunday, he tore his Achilles in the first quarter.
While the Pacers' best man went down, Indiana was unfazed for quite a while. Leading at halftime, it sure looked like they had some added motivation.
The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away late to win their first title since they were the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, but they certainly did not take the Pacers – or their extra boost – lightly.
"Honestly, there wasn't too much time to think about it. We were in the middle of battling, our season was on the line. I think we just tried to focus on what it would look like without him out there," Alex Caruso said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. "We knew they had guys that were plenty capable, and clearly they did. They gave us a run for our money until the end. We knew they weren't going to give up."
The Thunder, with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a 68-win season, were heavy favorites to win the series, but the "Sunday scaries" were in full effect.
"Just the way the series unfolded, it was kind of unpredictable. But the way their postseason had gone, they blew teams out they weren't supposed to beat, they had crazy comebacks in games they weren't supposed to win. I don't think we underestimated them by any stretch on our side. We expected them to be a really tough out, and it came to be true," Caruso continued.
Caruso was at a local Raising Cane's to help work a shift, 24 hours after their title parade.
"Right back to work. The grind doesn't stop," he said. "It's great. Before I even showed up, there was a line of hundreds of people sitting there waiting in anticipation. The love is felt, and it's been a lot of fun."
And yes, the Thunder celebrated plenty, despite viral videos on social media of them reacting rather nonchalantly.
"There's a couple hangovers and a lot of waters post-parade," he admitted.
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