Alexander's young career, and there may not be a more crucial one in the future. The MVP-leader of Oklahoma City had been bottled up again by the physicality and pressure of Indiana's defense for three and a half quarters.

The next time down the floor, Gilgeous-Alexander had Nesmith on him again on a crossmatch. He isolated on the left wing, drove baseline and went into one of his patented stepbacks. Nesmith hit the floor, trying to draw a foul on the push-off. Andrew Nembhard scurried over to contest it, but it didn't matter: Cash.