It was looking close for a moment, but the Oklahoma City Thunder walked away with a strong win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, securing a 114-88 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

This is why everyone loves a Game 7, but it's also a lot of pressure. After the game, Thunder guard Alex Caruso told reporters that it is beyond normal to feel the stakes. "If you don't feel anything leading up to it, you're probably like a serial killer, you know?" Caruso said. "You need to be checked out."

Caruso stepped up in the Thunder's 125-93 Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets. He finished with 11 points and three steals, but his one-on-one defense against Nikola Jokic swung the game to the home squad's favor.