If you think of clutch moments in this season’s playoffs, the Denver Nuggets would certainly cross your mind. The Nuggets have won several games in the final moments. However, they were outdone by the OKC Thunder in their own game on Sunday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. made all the clutch plays against the Nuggets to level the series with a 92-87 win. SGA was the star of the show as he pulled his team out of a slump.

The 26-year-old superstar point guard scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to ensure that Denver could not close the game this time around. But the question is, how did he do it?

We all know just how good SGA is, and he just stuck to what he knows best: drilling mid-range shots. While there has been a rising trend of shooting from beyond the arc, SGA took a different route. The Thunder star did not make any of the five shots he took from deep. It might affect any other player’s confidence, but not Mr. Aura himself.

He had a solid night despite struggling from the arc, scoring 25 points along with six rebounds and six assists. It’s performances like these that frustrate defenders, as they cannot stop the OKC point guard from scoring. While they think that they are doing a good job of keeping him away from the rim, the 26-year-old outsmarts them by winning free throws or making great mid-range floaters and jumpers.

You might not be able to decode Shai Gilegous-Alexander’s playing style, unless, of course, you’re LeBron James. “I’d love to hear your take on one, if you know, as most defenses do, we want to protect the rim, right. We want to take away threes run people off threes, but if Shai’s punching your lights out with mid-range shots.” Former NBA star Steve Nash asked LeBron on their podcast, Mind the Game.’

“It gets… It gets frustrating.” James replied. Indeed, anyone would be disappointed seeing Shai shoot easy looks from the mid-range when they try their best to keep him away from the rim and block his three-pointers.

Just this season alone, the OKC Thunder point guard has made 50 percent of his shots from the mid-range during the regular season. That’s quite impressive! Moreover, it’s a massive jump from his 37.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. While the rest of the NBA is making a huge shift toward three-point shooting, SGA remains one of the few players who trust their mid-range shots and ability to drive to the paint. That’s what has impressed King James the most about the MVP candidate’s game.

But he also revealed SGA’s secret by keeping it in front of the teams looking to take down OKC. Will they be able to do so? That’s another story.

Nonetheless, this wasn’t the only thing noticed by the LA Lakers veteran, who is now enjoying the postseason from the comfort of his home. LeBron James also sent out a clear message to the eight teams remaining in the playoffs, which might be the key to postseason success.

LeBron James makes a massive observation that could help teams in the postseason

If you even remotely follow the NBA for some time, you might have heard old heads saying, the game has changed. Well, it most certainly has. But is it a good thing or a bad thing? That’s up to you to decide. There’s no doubt that the style of play in the league has changed big time from just over one or two decades ago. The most notable change might be the excessive three-point shooting.

This season, the average NBA team is taking 37.5 three-pointers per game, which is a new high in the extensive history of the league. The previous record was set in the 2021-22 season, with 35.2 three being shot by teams. If you just skim these stats, it might seem normal that it took that long to break the record. After all, the NBA set a new record every season from 2011 to 2022.

We all have seen the Boston Celtics’ three-point dominance. They’ve laid the blueprint for the rest of the league by winning the championship last year. Perhaps the Golden State Warriors could be called the forerunners in this case. Nonetheless, is this increased three-point shooting bad?

Well, if you watch closely, it’s not replacing the electrifying dunks or players looking to reach the rim. Instead, it has replaced mid-range jumpers. You might not think much of it, but according to LeBron James, that’s the most important part of the game.

“Opportunities to do what they are out there to do, you know, by either extending the defense to the three-point. Okay, we’re not going. You’re shooting 10 12 threes a game. Well, now we’re going to extend our defense. We’re not going to allow you to shoot the threes, but we’re also going to protect the rim, but the creators in our game have always worked on mid-ranges.” James pointed out.

The 40-year-old veteran explained that having that mid-range shot in your arsenal, just like SGA, is the point of difference. Moreover, he pointed out the fact that the best creators have always worked on mid-range. James used Dallas legend, Dirk Nowitzki, as an example of how he kept defenses at bay by mastering the mid-range jumpers.

“I think you know, like you said, the common fan will say there’s no mid-range in the NBA anymore, it’s just fast breaks, layups, right threes, and free throws. But it’s absolutely absolutely not true, it’s not true.” LeBron James concluded.

Indeed, any common fan would agree that it’s all about the three-point shots now. However, according to the future Hall-of-Famer, they couldn’t be more wrong. This is also something to take note of for the remaining eight teams in the playoffs, as it could help them down the last stretch of games as they look to win the championship.