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By Matt Audilet
Contributing Sports Writer
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Alex Caruso was a key player for the Los Angeles Lakers when they won the franchise's 17th NBA championship in 2020.
Now as a veteran player for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Caruso is battling the Lakers and his former teammate, LeBron James, in the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs.
At 41 years old, James is still performing at an elite level for the Lakers as they progress through the postseason. Through six game in Los Angeles' first-round series win over the Houston Rockets, the all-time great NBA superstar averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists and 7.2 rebounds per contest.
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Caruso was asked what it's like to play against James for the first time in the NBA playoffs.
"It's different, just knowing and understanding that he's always ready for the moment," Caruso said. "Everyone likes to talk about his age, but it's still LeBron James. He's still very capable of being the best player on the court any given night."
"Just having that respect for him and understanding that he's very smart. He uses the game to his advantage," he added.
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James was arguably the best player on the court in Tuesday night's Game 1 matchup, scoring a game-high 27 points while shooting 12/17 from the field and 3/6 from behind the 3-point arc. But, it wasn't enough to overcome the balanced attack from the reigning NBA champions, who secured a 1-0 series lead with a 108-90 final score.
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Game 2 will tipoff at 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.
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