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Thunder’s Alex Caruso joins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams on injury report vs. Cavs
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- Thunder’s Alex Caruso joins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams on injury report vs. Cavs
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The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon. And if the official injury report is anything to go by, the defending champions will enter this matchup considerably understaffed.
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Alex Caruso joins franchise cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and forward Jalen Williams , with all three not expected to play, per the official injury report . Caruso has officially been ruled out due to a left ankle sprain suffered during Oklahoma City 's 105-86 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
MVP contender Gilgeous-Alexander is sidelined with an abdominal strain while Williams is out with a right hamstring strain. However, that is not the end of the injury woes for the Thunder, with Ajay Mitchell and Thomas Sorber also unavailable for this game.
The Thunder enter this game as the obvious favorites, boasting a 43-14 record. However, they are up against a team most expect to emerge as title contenders, especially after the acquisition of James Harden , who has hit the ground running. That, in addition to the absences, means that OKC might have plenty on their plate against the Cavs.
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Alex Caruso , Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams ' injury status vs. Cavaliers
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Alex Caruso exited Oklahoma City's 105-86 victory over Brooklyn with the injury, and the Thunder will take a cautious approach given his sheer importance. Caruso remains one of Oklahoma City's most disruptive perimeter defenders and has a knack of coming good in the postseason.
The injury becomes even more damaging given Oklahoma City is already without its two primary offensive creators. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams represent a major part of their offensive threat, which puts more pressure on the likes of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein .
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Thunder injury report
Out:
Alex Caruso: left ankle sprain
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: abdominal strain
Jalen Williams: right hamstring strain
Ajay Mitchell: abdominal strain / left ankle sprain
Thomas Sorber: right ACL surgical recovery
Cavaliers injury report
Out:
Max Strus : left foot Jones fracture surgery
Riley Minix : G League two-way
Tristan Enaruna : G League two-way
Related: Thunder's Sam Presti gifts Mark Daigneault two desired first-round picks amid title defense
Related: Mark Daigneault's surprising 'pure point guard' take on Thunder's Nikola Topic
