NBA Playoffs 2012: 3 Takeaways from OKC Thunder's Win in Game 5

The San Antonio Spurs were on a 20-game winning streak going into Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. Three games later, that means nothing.

OKC has stormed to a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven series and looks ready to wrap it up at home on Wednesday night. It seems like everybody has stepped up at some time for OKC, from the stars to the second-string players. Durant, Ibaka, Sefolosha, Westbrook, Harden...everyone has proven why the Thunder don't care that 94 percent of teams that go up 2-0 in a playoff series go on to win it. That six percent is looking pretty good right about now.

Here's a look at what we can learn from Game 5, yet another fabulous team performance from the Thunder. Ironically, it comes from a team that was overshadowed by the chemistry oozing out of their competitor's organization.

It's Not All in the Hands of Durant and Westbrook

The Heat struggle to win when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade aren't performing at a very high level. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker need to have big nights for the Spurs to be successful. Without production from Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the Celtics don't have much of a shot.

Don't get me wrong, the Thunder perform best when their stars do, but their bench has proven time and again that they can handle big moments.

Daequan Cook didn't step on the floor in Game 4. In OKC's Game 5 win, Cook was on the floor for four minutes. In that limited time, he made all three of his shots, including two big three-pointers.

Serge Ibaka, the man holding down the paint for the Thunder, got into foul trouble early. Problem? Nope. Nick Collison stepped up and made all three of his shots in the first quarter.

What about the 2012 Sixth Man of the Year? James Harden went off for 20 points on 6-11 from the field while draining three of four from behind the arc, including the finishing blow to Game 5.

The Thunder proved in Game 5 they have depth to complement their Batman and Robin.

They Can Defend, Too

It may not be pretty, but OKC's defense gets it done. They forced San Antonio to make hurried passes and create easy transition baskets from steals. With the speed of Durant and Westbrook running the break, the Spurs could only watch alley oops like this in awe.

In Game 5, Westbrook had four steals to combine with Durant's three and Harden's pair. San Antonio has been one of the best teams in preventing turnovers, but that has changed in this series because of OKC's athleticism.

Perkins and Ibaka are dominant forces in the paint. As long as they can stay out of foul trouble, OKC will be in good hands. Like mentioned earlier, Ibaka got into foul trouble early, but Collison filled the void nicely.

Their length creates mismatches, too. Kevin Durant, a star not known for his defense, stepped up in the series against the Lakers by defending Kobe Bryant late in games—and did so very effectively. In Game 5 against the Spurs, he managed four defensive rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot. Sure, they aren't All-Defense-type numbers, but for a lanky scorer, they are critical contributions.

OKC Is Ready to Make a Thunderous Statement

However easy it may have been to write off the Thunder after the Spurs took a 2-0 series lead, it appears to be that easy now to say they are headed to the Finals.

Gregg Popovich said it best in his post-game interview: championship teams win on the road. After a big road win, Oklahoma City is headed back home—a home with arguably the largest advantage in basketball.

OKC has shown they have all of the tools to put together a championship run. And they have done it in a most impressive fashion.

In a playoff run that began with a beatdown of the team they lost to in the Conference Finals last year (Dallas), OKC went on to beat one of the greatest players of all time (Kobe Bryant). Now, OKC has forced the Spurs to trade their 20-game winning streak for a three-game losing streak.

Can the Thunder finish their run? That remains to be seen.

It hasn't been easy for OKC, but nobody said championships were.