Second-unit point guards rarely steal the spotlight in the NBA Finals. On June 11, 2025, T.J. McConnell made Oklahoma City wish it could hide the basketball.
The Thunder led Indiana 32-24 after the opening quarter of Game 3. Early in the second, McConnell slipped a pass to Pascal Siakam for a layup. Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace prepared to restart play. Three seconds later, McConnell had stolen his pass.
Siakam missed the ensuing three-pointer, but McConnell grabbed the offensive rebound and found Bennedict Mathurin cutting to the basket. What should have been an ordinary Thunder possession had become another Pacers layup. Gainbridge Fieldhouse erupted, and McConnell kept hunting.
He finished with five steals, ten points and five assists in just 15 minutes. Indiana’s bench overwhelmed Oklahoma City’s reserves, helping the Pacers secure a 116-107 victory and a 2-1 series lead. McConnell did more than hustle. He knew when to accelerate, when to attack an unsettled defense and when to involve his teammates. For second-unit point guards, those decisions can turn a dangerous stretch without the starting playmaker into the most productive minutes of the night.
McConnell turned Oklahoma City’s mistakes into Indiana’s momentum
The Thunder entered the 2025 Finals with one of basketball’s most disruptive defenses. Their pressure had overwhelmed opponents throughout the season, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso and Lu Dort driving an aggressive defensive identity. McConnell refused to let that pressure dictate Indiana’s possessions. Instead, he attacked Oklahoma City’s organization before its defenders could settle.
One sequence captured his approach. After driving into the lane, McConnell fed Obi Toppin for a layup. He immediately attacked the ensuing inbounds pass and stole it, denying the Thunder a chance to begin their next possession. NBA.com’s Game 3 analysis confirmed that McConnell stole three inbounds passes following Indiana baskets. His pressure turned made shots into opportunities for additional possessions.
The official play-by-play provides another example. With 11:34 remaining in the second quarter, McConnell stole Wallace’s pass just three seconds after assisting Siakam’s layup. He then recovered an offensive rebound and assisted Mathurin’s finish.
These were not conventional fast breaks following defensive rebounds. McConnell created transition-like opportunities through full-court pressure, catching Oklahoma City before it could establish its offense or prepare to defend again. The Thunder barely had time to gather themselves. McConnell was already chasing another possession, forcing hurried decisions from players who expected a routine restart.
His numbers told the story. According to the Indiana Pacers’ official Game 3 report, McConnell became the first Finals reserve to record at least ten points, five assists and five steals in one game. He also helped unlock Mathurin, whose scoring transformed Indiana’s bench production.
Mathurin’s scoring gave McConnell a dangerous transition partner
Mathurin did not start Game 3. The 22-year-old entered from the bench and eventually delivered 27 points in 22 minutes, shooting 9-for-12 from the field. Indiana’s reserves outscored Oklahoma City’s bench 49-18. Mathurin supplied 27 of those 49 points, while McConnell contributed ten and Toppin added eight.
McConnell’s aggression worked because he had teammates who could punish the chaos. Mathurin offered immediate scoring, while Toppin supplied a dangerous target around the basket. Siakam could finish through traffic or capitalize when defenders lost their assignments.
That combination gave McConnell several choices whenever he forced a turnover. A defender retreating toward the rim had to account for Toppin, while another shading toward Mathurin risked leaving an opening for McConnell’s drive. If the defense crowded both options, Siakam could attack the remaining space. The point guard did not need to finish every possession himself.
Indiana coach Rick Carlisle credited McConnell’s competitive determination after the victory. His teammates responded to that urgency, particularly as the Pacers clawed their way back from Oklahoma City’s early advantage. But McConnell brought more than energy. He knew where his finishers wanted the ball, and his pressure created scoring chances before the Thunder could recover.
The best second-unit point guards develop those connections through repetition. A quick glance tells them when a wing wants an advance pass or when a big has beaten his defender downcourt. Sometimes that read happens before the rebounder even releases the ball. The guard already knows where his teammate will be, and the pass arrives before the defense can react.
The first few seconds decide whether the offense has an advantage
A fast break begins with information. The rebounder secures the ball, two teammates sprint toward the wings and a big races down the middle, forcing the defense to protect the rim. The point guard must read those movements almost immediately.
An outlet pass might put a scorer behind the defense. One aggressive dribble could force a retreating center to commit. Holding the ball for another second, though, could allow the entire defense to recover. Second-unit point guards face that calculation repeatedly, especially when coaches mix starters and reserves.
Why the advance pass beats unnecessary dribbling
Consider a defensive rebound with Mathurin already sprinting along the right sideline and Toppin running toward the basket. The guard has two obvious options. He can dribble toward half court, allowing the defense to identify its assignments, or fire the ball ahead while the defenders remain scattered.
The second option often creates a cleaner scoring chance. A wing catching the ball near the three-point line can attack before the defense establishes its preferred matchup. Meanwhile, the big running toward the rim forces the nearest defender to choose between protecting the basket and stopping the ball. That hesitation creates the opening.
McConnell’s game showed the same principle from another direction. His steals removed the outlet-pass stage entirely. Indiana suddenly possessed the ball near its attacking basket, with Oklahoma City scrambling to recover. McConnell saw the chance before the Thunder realized they were in trouble.
When the guard needs to slow everything down
Not every possession deserves a full-court sprint. Imagine a reserve unit collecting a defensive rebound while three opponents have already retreated into the paint. The passing lanes disappear, and the obvious layup is gone. Forcing a pass into that traffic invites a turnover.
A disciplined guard pulls the ball back, identifies a favorable matchup and calls for a screen. The defense might have stopped the initial break, but it still has to survive the next action. That is where second-unit point guards earn a coach’s trust.
They must recognize when the fast break has ended without abandoning the possession. A trailing big can set an early ball screen, while a wing sprints to the weak-side corner to keep help defenders away from the lane. The guard keeps the defense working without throwing away the ball.
Playing quickly and playing hurriedly are different skills. McConnell’s aggression worked because he spotted real openings. He never needed to treat every touch as a race.
Pritchard controlled tempo by threatening the three-point line
McConnell’s approach relied heavily on defensive pressure, passing and attacks around the basket. Payton Pritchard found another way to control a game during Boston’s 2024-25 championship-defense season. His weapon was shooting.
Picture a defender retreating toward the paint as Pritchard approaches the arc. The guard brings the ball into his shooting pocket, and that defender suddenly has a decision to make. Keep protecting the rim or sprint back toward a shooter who needs almost no room to fire. Either choice leaves something exposed.
The Celtics guard won the 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award after averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 80 games. The voting confirmed how far he had separated himself from other reserves. NBA Communications recorded 82 first-place votes and 454 voting points for Pritchard, while Detroit’s Malik Beasley finished second with 279 points.
Pritchard also drilled 246 three-pointers off the bench, setting an NBA single-season record for reserves. That shooting made Boston’s offense difficult to contain even when its stars needed rest.
A traditional transition defense prioritizes the basket. Players sprint backward, protect the middle and attempt to recover toward shooters. Pritchard punished that instinct because defenders could not retreat into the paint while leaving him open behind the arc. Give him a clean look early in the possession, and he could bury a three before everyone reached their defensive assignments.
If a defender stepped forward aggressively, the space behind him became vulnerable. Another Celtic could cut toward the basket or attack the resulting mismatch. Pritchard did not need to sprint through every possession. His shooting forced defenders to hurry, and that urgency created room for his teammates.
Boston’s 43-point reminder of what a reserve can do
On March 5, 2025, TD Garden watched Pritchard turn the three-point line into a shooting gallery.
Boston opened against Portland by missing four straight three-pointers. Pritchard answered with two consecutive makes, then knocked down a contested fadeaway from the right corner. With 8.2 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, he caught the ball near the left arc and fired again. Boston carried a 31-26 lead into the second quarter.
The Blazers could see the danger developing. A defender could chase Pritchard toward the sideline, but that left little margin for another shooter to slip into space. Give him a half-step of breathing room, and another three could follow. Every defensive recovery demanded urgency.
With Boston missing Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, Pritchard carried a larger scoring burden than usual. He responded with a career-high 43 points, making ten three-pointers, grabbing ten rebounds and adding five assists in a 128-118 Celtics victory.
The Associated Press reported that Pritchard and Derrick White became the first teammates in NBA history to make at least nine three-pointers apiece in one game. White finished with 41 points and nine triples.
By the end of the third quarter, Pritchard had already buried all ten of his three-pointers. The threat of another deep shot remained, even as Portland searched for ways to slow Boston’s perimeter attack. He finished 10-for-16 from beyond the arc, punishing defenders who could not afford to lose sight of him.
That performance was not simply a transition-scoring exhibition. It showed why defenders had to respect Pritchard’s range whether Boston was running, resetting or working through a half-court possession. His shooting stretched the floor and made every late closeout dangerous.
McConnell shattered a defense’s rhythm through pressure and steals. Pritchard exploited the space defenders surrendered while racing to recover. Both made opponents uncomfortable, although they attacked that discomfort in different ways.
The best backup guards understand the players sharing the floor
Second-unit basketball often requires a different offensive approach from the one used by the starters. Tyrese Haliburton could organize Indiana’s offense through advanced passing, early reads and carefully timed pick-and-roll actions. McConnell brought relentless defensive activity and a willingness to attack openings from unexpected positions.
Neither approach required the other to disappear. Carlisle could change the pressure on Oklahoma City simply by changing the point guard’s responsibilities.
McConnell’s minutes alongside Mathurin provided a useful example. The young scorer could attack an opening immediately, while Toppin threatened the rim through cuts and runs behind the defense. Give McConnell those runners, and he could push the ball before opposing defenders sorted out their assignments.
Boston presented another challenge with Pritchard. Surround him with perimeter shooters, and defenders had to spread toward the three-point line. That spacing opened driving lanes that might disappear with a different lineup. A backup guard had to know which teammates could punish those openings and which ones needed an extra screen.
The best reserves remember who prefers catching the ball in motion, who needs help establishing position and which teammate can attack a mismatched defender. Missing that read does not always produce a turnover. Sometimes the guard simply holds the ball a beat too long, giving the defense time to recover.
A possession that could have produced an uncontested layup becomes a difficult jumper late in the shot clock. Good backups recognize those lost opportunities. Great ones rarely allow them to happen twice.
Controlling the break also protects the defense
Transition offense carries a hidden responsibility. Every shot creates the possibility of an opponent running the other way. If four players charge toward the basket and nobody maintains defensive balance, one missed attempt can produce an easy score at the opposite end. The point guard must see that danger before releasing the ball.
Suppose a reserve drives into three defenders while both wings crash toward the rim. A blocked shot or loose pass suddenly leaves the team vulnerable, especially if no teammate remains behind the play. The mistake began with the decision to attack.
Second-unit point guards have to weigh the temptation of an early shot against the risk of handing their opponents a break. A pull-up jumper can make sense when teammates have room to recover defensively. An aggressive drive becomes more dangerous when everyone else has already committed toward the basket.
NBA Stats measures pace through possessions per 48 minutes, but that number cannot tell the whole story. One team might play at a moderate pace while making the most of every genuine transition chance. Another could race through possession after possession, throwing away its advantage with careless passes and contested shots.
Raw speed can fool anyone watching the box score. Turnovers, transition efficiency, lineup performance and shot quality reveal whether all that running actually produces points. A coach wants the guard who can create an easy basket without giving one away on the next trip.
The smartest backups think about that exchange before the shot leaves their hands.
Why the smallest stretches can decide the biggest games
Playoff basketball punishes hesitation. Opponents study passing habits, identify weak defenders and adjust their rotations to eliminate familiar scoring opportunities. Second-unit point guards have to solve those problems while playing fewer minutes than the stars.
A backup might enter with four minutes remaining in the first quarter, face an aggressive defensive lineup and receive only a handful of possessions to establish control. There is little room for a slow adjustment period.
McConnell’s 2025 Finals performance showed what happens when a reserve embraces that urgency. He did not dominate the game through scoring volume. Instead, he stole possessions, disrupted Oklahoma City’s organization and fed teammates who could finish the opportunities he created.
Pritchard’s 2024-25 season offered a different lesson. His three-point shooting forced defenders to respect space they might otherwise surrender. Boston did not need him sprinting into the lane on every possession. Sometimes the threat of his jumper created enough panic to open the floor.
That gives coaches two different ways to build a dangerous bench. One lineup might rely on steals, pressure and immediate attacks. Another could stretch the defense with shooters, drag opponents into screening actions and hunt favorable matchups. Neither approach works if the guard fails to recognize what his teammates do best.
The challenge grows when substitution patterns change. A backup may share the floor with starters during one stretch and lead an entirely different lineup moments later. He has to adjust his decisions without interrupting the offense, often while the opponent changes its defensive approach.
The next possession belongs to the guard who reads it first
The most revealing moment for a backup point guard often arrives after something ordinary: a missed jumper, a defensive rebound or an opponent preparing to inbound the ball. Nothing looks especially dangerous until a defender takes one careless step. A teammate starts running before his matchup notices, and the guard sees an opening that might disappear within a second.
He has to decide whether to attack or pull the ball back.
Against Oklahoma City in June 2025, McConnell repeatedly recognized those opportunities and attacked them. His five steals helped Indiana seize Game 3, even though the Thunder eventually recovered to win the championship in seven games.
Pritchard made a different read throughout his award-winning season. He knew when the defense had given him too much room beyond the arc. Opponents had to account for his jumper before they could concentrate on protecting the paint. Neither player relied on speed alone. Both understood how quickly an NBA defense could lose its shape and how to punish it before the chance disappeared.
That skill becomes especially valuable when the starting point guard needs rest. Coaches cannot afford several disorganized possessions while their reserves find their footing. A two-minute stretch can erase a lead or turn a close game into a comfortable one.
Second-unit point guards carry that responsibility without necessarily receiving the recognition. They manage the clock, direct traffic and decide whether a promising transition opportunity deserves a sprint or a reset. Their best possessions often appear simple because they have already read the defense two moves ahead.
McConnell’s Finals burst made those decisions impossible to ignore. His pressure forced Oklahoma City to defend situations it never expected to face. The ball belonged to the Thunder until it suddenly did not.
The fastest player does not always dictate the game. More often, the advantage belongs to the guard who recognizes what everyone else is about to do, then acts first.
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FAQs
How do backup point guards control the pace of an NBA game?
They choose when to push the fast break, attack an unsettled defense or slow down and organize a better shot.
How did T.J. McConnell change Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals?
McConnell recorded five steals, ten points and five assists in 15 minutes. His pressure helped Indiana beat Oklahoma City 116-107.
Did Bennedict Mathurin come off the bench in Game 3?
Yes. Mathurin scored 27 points as a reserve, helping Indiana’s bench outscore Oklahoma City’s second unit 49-18.
Why does Payton Pritchard’s shooting help control NBA tempo?
His three-point range forces defenders to react earlier. That pressure opens driving lanes and prevents opponents from settling comfortably into their defense.
When should a backup point guard slow down a fast break?
When defenders already protect the basket and passing lanes disappear, the guard should reset the offense instead of forcing a turnover.
