Basketball
Understanding Fast Breaks in Basketball: Quick Guide!
A fast break in basketball is a quick offensive play after gaining possession. It usually happens when a team steals the ball or grabs a defensive rebound.
Los Angeles Lakers//Getty Images
What Is a Fast Break in Basketball?
A fast break in basketball is a quick offensive play after gaining possession. It usually happens when a team steals the ball or grabs a defensive rebound. The goal is to move down the court as quickly as possible.
Players sprint toward the basket before the defense has time to organize. This creates a numbers advantage, often leading to easier scoring opportunities. The ball is advanced with quick passes or by a player dribbling rapidly. The fast break typically ends with a layup or dunk for a high-percentage shot. This means that if players execute a fast break correctly, they have a high likelihood of scoring points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the NBA in fast break points per game in 2023-24 with 5.5 per game.
Which NBA Teams are Best and Worst on the Fast Break?
The Toronto Raptors were the highest-scoring team on the fast break during the 2023-24 NBA regular season, averaging 18.7 fast break points per game.
Other high scorers on the fast break included the Washington Wizards (17.6 fast break points per game) and Los Angeles Lakers (17.0 fast break points per game).
The Boston Celtics, who ultimately won the NBA championship, were only the 10th most prolific on the fast break with 15.3 fast break points per game.
The lowest-scoring team on the fast break last season was the Memphis Grizzlies with 11.6 fast break points per game.
Interestingly, the Golden State Warriors were consistently the highest-scoring NBA team on the fast break during their era of NBA dominance. However, they were one of the lowest-scoring in 2023-24.
From 2014-15 to 2017-18, the Warriors topped the NBA’s fast break points per game standings. In this regard, they peaked in 2016-17 with 22.6 fast break points per game en route to the NBA championship.
In 2023-24, they were joint-27th out of 30 NBA teams in fast break points with 12.4 per game.
In the early stages of the 2024-25 season, the Warriors regained some of their fast break brilliance. They averaged 18.0 fast break points per game in their first six games of the 2024-25 NBA season.
See below the top five teams for fast break points in the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
| Team | Fast Break Points Per Game |
| Toronto Raptors | 18.7 |
| Washington Wizards | 17.6 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 17.0 |
| Indiana Pacers | 16.6 |
| Houston Rockets | 15.8 |
Leonard Solms is a freelance journalist who has been covering local and international sport from South Africa since 2015. Best known for his work for ESPN, he has also written for Al Jazeera, The Continent, New Frame, Planet Rugby and GiveMeSport among several other publications.