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OKLAHOMA CITY— After five games, we finally witnessed some transition offense in the NBA Finals.
During the initial three playoff rounds, the Indiana Pacers (25.8) and Oklahoma City Thunder (25.3) secured the top two spots for transition points per game, according to Synergy tracking. However, for the first four games of the Finals, neither team seemed able to replicate their successful fast breaks.
Both squads showcased exceptional abilities on the defensive end regarding transition, resulting in an average of just 31 transition points per game during those early Finals contests. The Thunder struggled to convert turnovers into easy fast-break opportunities, and the Pacers discovered that running the floor is considerably more challenging against teams other than the New York Knicks.
That changed in Game 5 on Monday when the Thunder finally found their rhythm, accumulating 28 transition points in a 120-109 win that gave them a 3-2 lead in the series.
Here are some insights, statistics, and analysis of how Oklahoma City managed to get out and run …
The Thunder’s transition offense is built on a defense that averages 10.8 steals per 100 possessions— the highest of any playoff team that has progressed past the first round in 26 years. On Monday, they recorded 15 steals, just one shy of their playoff high.
While the guards are primarily responsible for the steals, 11 of the 12 Thunder players who have logged at least 50 playoff minutes have averaged a steal per 36 minutes.
The only outlier is Chet Holmgren, who earned a steal early in the first quarter when Isaiah Hartenstein defended Pascal Siakam, knocking the ball away as Siakam attempted to dribble…
Though the Thunder didn’t score right away off that live-ball turnover, the Pacers’ defense wasn’t fully set when Hartenstein trailed the play. He received a pass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the paint. With Siakam still making his way into the frontcourt, Tyrese Haliburton was caught having to guard two players on the right side, one of whom—Jalen Williams—cut to the basket for a dunk…
Midway through the second quarter, the Pacers appeared to have a promising transition chance when Haliburton found Ben Sheppard under the basket. However, Hartenstein’s aggressive defense forced Sheppard to abandon the layup attempt, and Alex Caruso intercepted Sheppard’s pass intended for a cutting Haliburton.
This ended up creating a three-point play for Williams in transition…
Williams concluded the game with a remarkable 40 points, including 14 points on the break. This marked more transition points than he had totaled in Games 1-4 combined (12), falling just one short of his season high (15 against New Orleans on November 13), as indicated by Synergy.
Some of those transition points were a result of the Pacers’ assertive defensive tactics rather than just the Thunder’s relentless defense.
Indiana has been applying early pressure by closely defending Oklahoma City’s ball-handlers as soon as they receive the ball in the backcourt. While this can sap time off the shot clock and exhaust the Thunder, it also creates opportunities for Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams to exploit gaps when their teammates screen defenders well beyond the three-point line.
This was evident twice in the second half of Game 5. Following an Indiana score midway through the third quarter, Hartenstein set a backcourt screen on T.J. McConnell, allowing Williams to drive past Tony Bradley and draw a foul from Haliburton.
In the fourth quarter, Bennedict Mathurin couldn’t regain position on Williams after yet another Hartenstein screen in the backcourt, resulting in Siakam fouling Williams on his drive…
According to Second Spectrum tracking, the Thunder set 69 ball screens in Game 5, averaging 30.5 feet from the basket, representing their highest average of the season. Their four highest averages across the 103 total games this season are from Game 5, Game 3, Game 4, and Game 2 of the Finals.
Despite another rough first half (their third in the series where they scored less than a point per possession), the Pacers managed to stay close, trailing by only two points with just over eight minutes remaining. However, they then committed five live-ball turnovers on their next seven possessions, which allowed the Thunder to embark on an 18-4 run, effectively sealing the game.
One pivotal moment was a miscommunication between Haliburton and Nembhard, which was facilitated by Cason Wallace’s defense.
Nembhard had been hesitant all night and passed up an opportunity to shoot a three when Gilgeous-Alexander went underneath a Bradley screen. After picking up his dribble, he aimed to pass to Haliburton. However, Wallace was effectively denying Haliburton 30 feet from the basket.
While Haliburton cut backdoor, Nembhard passed to a spot Haliburton was no longer at. Wallace seized the loose ball for an easy dunk, extending the Thunder’s lead to seven…
Moments later, Lu Dort closed out on Nembhard, and Williams provided help on Nembhard’s drive into the paint. Instead of stopping to make a more informed decision, Nembhard attempted a jump pass across his body. Gilgeous-Alexander intercepted it and converted it into a three-point play on the break…
According to Synergy, despite committing 23 turnovers, the Pacers were marginally more effective than the Thunder in the half-court on Monday. However, it was the transition game, which had been largely subdued for both teams throughout the series, that made the difference.
As a result, Oklahoma City now stands just one win away from capturing its first NBA championship. Game 6 is set for Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
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John Schuhmann serves as a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can reach him via email, explore his archive here, and follow him on X.
The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its teams, or Warner Bros. Discovery.
