LAS VEGAS (AP) — It was midway through the third quarter of the Oklahoma City-Houston NBA Cup semifinal matchup on Saturday night. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just made a short jumper in the lane and, to his delight, a time-out was immediately called. He needed it.

Oklahoma City is one win away from the NBA Cup. On Saturday, the Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 111-96 in the semifinal of the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. The Thunder used a big second half to eventually pull away and punch their ticket to Tuesday’s championship game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Alexander was stumped, halted by a Houston defense that reaps on creativity and would hate to see a shot fall on its account.  The second half ended in triumph, with muscles being flexed and imaginary guns placed in holsters.