NBA Finals 2025: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the lost art of the midrange jumper - ESPN

TRAILING BY A point late in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder's season seemingly hanging in the balance, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander brought the ball up the left side of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse floor.

The MVP had the matchup he wanted and went to work one-on-one against Indiana Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith.

Gilgeous-Alexander darted left, taking two hard dribbles away from the rest of the Indiana defense. Nesmith stayed on his right hip for a couple of strides with the help of a hand check before Gilgeous-Alexander popped the defender with a sudden, strong forearm across the «INDIANA» on his chest, a forceful enough blow to put the 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard on the seat of his pants in the paint.

As Pacers fans protested what they believed should have been an offensive foul, Gilgeous-Alexander gathered his balance while stepping back for a baseline 15-footer as Andrew Nembhard scrambled over for a too-late attempt to contest the shot.

The ball splashed through the net, giving Oklahoma City the lead for good with 2:23 remaining in its series-tying comeback win. The most important moment of Gilgeous-Alexander's career was a midrange jumper, a shot non grata for most in the modern NBA that has been mastered by the league's best scorer.

It surely brought a smile to Sam Cassell, the longtime NBA assistant coach whose playing career is best remembered for a since-outlawed celebratory dance, winning three championship rings and a mastery of the midrange.

«I gave Shai everything I had, everything in my bag,» Cassell told ESPN. «He's just a bigger version of me — bigger and faster.»

Gilgeous-Alexander spent only one season under Cassell's wing, but the seeds of the NBA scoring champion's offensive success were planted