1 tiebreak + 40, 1 average 24 points, the Lakers old player will shine in the West Finals, and the stage will be bigger after leaving

Today is the last game of the second round of the NBA playoffs. The Nuggets vs. The Thunder tied the seventh game. In the end, the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 125-93 at home, eliminated their opponents 4-3, and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

The Thunder completely took the initiative in the whole game, and in this big victory, there was a person shining in the substitute group, that was Caruso.

Among the Thunder, the highest positive and negative values ​​are not the team's core Alexander or Jaylen Williams, but Caruso, who played for only 26 minutes, with a positive and negative value of up to +40, setting the highest score of the NBA tiebreak in the 21st century.

Simply put, Caruso played 26 minutes, the Thunder won 40 points, and when Caruso was away, the Thunder lost 8 points. Although the Thunder finally won 32 points, they were also behind in the beginning. The starting center Halten had a plus-minus value of -7 points, and the starting defender Dortmund had a plus-minus value of only +3 points. It can be said that as soon as Caruso came on the court, the Thunder was winning.

Many people know that Caruso is because of the Lakers. Caruso was also called "Bald Mamba" during the Lakers. In fact, Caruso's first stop in his NBA career is the Thunder. In the 2016 draft, Caruso was out of the draft. Later, the Thunder gave Caruso a chance, but not much, and it was quickly cut. It was not until 2017 that Caruso signed a contract with the Lakers and got a chance to perform in the NBA.

With a positive defensive attitude, Caruso has gained a firm foothold in the Lakers and has also gained a lot of fans. At that time, many Lakers players would be "blacked", but Caruso almost had 0 negative reviews.

In 2019, the Lakers renewed Caruso's contract for 5.5 million yuan for 2 years. In 2020, Caruso won the championship with the Lakers. In 2021, Caruso joined the Bulls for 37 million yuan for 4 years. It can be said that he finally won a relatively large contract.

Caruso is very grateful to the Lakers for giving him the opportunity and stage. But it is also right to leave the Lakers in 2021 because he needs a bigger stage. During the Bulls era, Caruso further defended and was selected for the All-Defensive Team for a team.

In the offseason in 2024, the Thunder, who was eliminated in the second round, used a trade for Kiddy to get Caruso with a trade. This season, the Thunder further entered the Western Conference Finals. It can be said that Caruso's deal still played a certain role.

Coincidentally, another player who took the initiative to leave the Lakers also scored into the Western Conference Finals, that is Randle.

Randall was the Lakers' rookie in 2014. When James joined the Lakers in 2018, Randall chose to leave. He did not want to be teammates with James.

Joined the Pelicans for 18 million in 2012, and this contract is not big, which is enough to show Randle's determination to leave the Lakers.

In 2019, Randall joined the Knicks for 63 million in three years, which can be considered a big contract. He made it to the playoffs and was selected as an All-Star. Although the team's record is not particularly good, at least he plays well in his personal performance.

In the 2024 offseason, Randall was traded to the Timberwolves, with the target of Towns. Many people questioned the Timberwolves' deal, but it turned out that neither side lost and both reached the division finals.

Randle averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in the playoffs, defeating the Lakers and Warriors in the inside. Now he will meet Caruso's Western Finals. One of them will enter the finals and strive for the championship.

Compared with other young Lakers players, these two people who took the initiative to leave are doing better, while others like Ingram, Ball, Russell, Kuzma, etc. are all traded. There is also an old Lakers player in the Knicks - Hart, who was also traded back then.