After missing the Oklahoma City Thunder’s previous two games with a sore hip, Alex Caruso is ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks with a strained hip, per Thunder’s latest injury report. Oklahoma City will look to capture its 12th win of the regular season on Sunday, following a 99-83 win against the Phoenix Suns.
The severity of Caruso’s injury raises the question of whether Alex is expected to be sidelined for an extended period. Caruso averages 4.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds but is a defensive pillar for the Thunder. He also averages 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game.
He joins a long list of injuries for Oklahoma City, including their three bigs: Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, and Isaiah Hartenstein. With Jalen Williams playing center, head coach Mark Daigneault has enforced Thunder small-ball. Outside of OKC’s 127-116 loss against the Golden State Warriors, where Holmgren suffered a fractured pelvic in the opening frame, the Thunder are 3-0 with victories against the Los Angeles Clippers, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Suns.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 28 points led four starters that scored in double figures in Oklahoma City’s 99-83 win against the Phoenix Suns. Lu Dort (nine rebounds) added 15 points, Jalen Williams tallied 14, and Isaiah Joe netted 11, while Aaron Wiggins (eight), Ajay Mitchell (seven), and Ousmane Dieng (seven) combined for 22 points off the bench.
Ajay Mitchell explains the benefits of playing 3 years in college
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s second-round pick Ajay Mitchell’s three years in college made a difference in his preparation for the role he’s earning in head coach Mark Daigneault’s player rotation. The additional college years spent growing as a player prepared Mitchell for his role on the 2024-25 Thunder.
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For Mitchell, it made all the difference in developing into the player he is today.
“It’s just a lot more experience. For me, having three years of college, I feel like, every year I got better, and every year I was kind of preparing myself to be ready to play right away in the NBA,” Mitchell said. “So, I think it really just helped me to learn the game more and be ready to compete at the highest level.”
Mitchell finished with seven points on 3-of-7 attempts, four rebounds, and three assists in 23 minutes in the Thunder’s win against the Suns on Friday. He is averaging 5.4 points while shooting at a 51.8% clip from the floor, 46.2% from deep, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 15.8 minutes this season.
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