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Game plans · Monday, March 1

How each team beats its opponent. Where to attack, and what to take away.

Plan any matchup

Based on 2025-26, with the current roster
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Hornets at Rockets

How the Hornets beat the Rockets

  1. Key scorerKey scorer: Kevin DurantDurant (26.0 points per game): best in the paint (59% on 393 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (40%, league 35%).
  2. Take awayTake away the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most) and they make 47.2% (6th). The Hornets defense there ranks 11th (43.8% allowed).
  3. TargetTarget this lineupWhen Durant, Sengun, Smith, Thompson and Sheppard share the floor (272 min), they allow 123.1 per 100, against 114.2 for the team: attack it.

How the Rockets beat the Hornets

  1. Take awayTake away the above-the-break 337.3% of Hornets shots come from above the break (2nd most) and they make 36.3% (5th). The Rockets defense there ranks 6th (34.1% allowed).
  2. Key scorerKey scorer: Brandon MillerMiller (20.2 points per game): best from the corners (42% on 71 shots, league 39%), worst from midrange (37%, league 42%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneCHA offenseHOU defenseHOU offenseCHA defense
At the rim64.8% (23rd)65.3% (12th)65.8% (16th)65.1% (9th)
Paint42.8% (22nd)44.1% (15th)47.2% (6th)43.8% (11th)
Midrange35.8% (29th)39.1% (2nd)40.2% (20th)39.7% (6th)
Corner 342.8% (3rd)38.5% (12th)37.3% (21st)38.8% (16th)
Above-the-break 336.3% (5th)34.1% (6th)36.1% (7th)35.1% (17th)

Matchups on Mon, Mar 1

6 games
  • 76ers at Cavaliers7:00 PM ET

    How the 76ers beat the Cavaliers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Donovan MitchellMitchell (27.9 points per game): best in the paint (55% on 309 shots, league 44%), worst at the rim (64%, league 66%). 39% on the left side, 45% on the right; push him left.

    How the Cavaliers beat the 76ers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Jaylen BrownBrown (28.7 points per game): best in the paint (50% on 434 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (40%, league 42%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Bulls at Pistons7:00 PM ET

    How the Bulls beat the Pistons

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Cade CunninghamCunningham (23.9 points per game): best from midrange (49% on 174 shots, league 42%), worst at the rim (61%, league 66%).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Bulls play at 101.9 possessions per 48 minutes (2nd in pace), the Pistons at 98.3 (18th). Run and make them keep up.

    How the Pistons beat the Bulls

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Pistons play at 98.3 possessions per 48 minutes (18th in pace), the Bulls at 101.9 (2nd). Make it a half-court game.
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Norman PowellPowell (21.7 points per game): best in the paint (51% on 159 shots, league 44%), worst from the corners (33%, league 39%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Jazz at Pelicans8:00 PM ET

    How the Jazz beat the Pelicans

    1. AttackAttack the paint22.8% of Jazz shots come in the paint (3rd most), and the Pelicans allow 47.9% there (28th of 30).
    2. TargetTarget this lineupWhen Bey, Murphy, McGowens, Fears and Queen share the floor (96 min), they allow 132.1 per 100, against 119.9 for the team: attack it.

    How the Pelicans beat the Jazz

    1. AttackAttack the rim40.4% of Pelicans shots come at the rim (1st most), and the Jazz allow 72.0% there (30th of 30).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Lauri MarkkanenMarkkanen (26.7 points per game): best from the corners (43% on 76 shots, league 39%), worst from midrange (29%, league 42%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Warriors at Rockets8:30 PM ET

    How the Warriors beat the Rockets

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Kevin DurantDurant (26.0 points per game): best in the paint (59% on 393 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (40%, league 35%).
    2. Take awayTake away the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most) and they make 47.2% (6th). The Warriors defense there ranks 26th (47.0% allowed).

    How the Rockets beat the Warriors

    1. AttackAttack the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most), and the Warriors allow 47.0% there (26th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack midrange12.8% of Rockets shots come from midrange (2nd most), and the Warriors allow 43.1% there (26th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Nets at Nuggets9:00 PM ET

    How the Nets beat the Nuggets

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Nikola JokicJokic (27.7 points per game): best from midrange (57% on 109 shots, league 42%), worst from above the break (37%, league 35%).
    2. AttackAttack the rim30.7% of Nets shots come at the rim (10th most), and the Nuggets allow 69.1% there (27th of 30).

    How the Nuggets beat the Nets

    1. AttackAttack the corner 3The Nuggets shoot 44.2% from the corners (1st), and the Nets allow 42.3% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Nuggets shoot 37.8% from above the break (1st), and the Nets allow 36.4% there (28th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Wizards at Suns9:30 PM ET

    How the Wizards beat the Suns

    1. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Suns grab 28.9% of their misses (7th) and the Wizards rank 30th on the defensive glass (70.2%).
    2. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Suns force turnovers on 13.9% of plays (3rd) and the Wizards give it away on 13.2% (26th of 30).

    How the Suns beat the Wizards

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Suns grab 28.9% of their misses (7th), and the Wizards rank 30th on the defensive glass (70.2%).
    2. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Suns force turnovers on 13.9% of plays (3rd), and the Wizards give it away on 13.2% (26th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
How this works

Each plan is a short list of rules applied to both teams' season numbers. Every item shows its numbers and ranks out of 30 so you can check it. At most 5 items per team, the biggest edges first.

  • Attack: a shot zone where the team is good (top 10 in FG% or in share of its shots) and the opponent's defense there is bottom 8 in FG% allowed (bottom 10 if that finds fewer than 2).
  • Take away: the opponent's favorite zone (top 5 in share, top 8 if fewer than 2 qualify) where they are also efficient (top 10 FG%), with the team's own defensive rank there.
  • Target: of the opponent's 5 most-used lineups, the one that allows the most points per 100 possessions, with at least 100 possessions and at least 3 points worse than the team's own defensive rating. All 5 players must still be on the team.
  • Key scorer: the opponent's top scorer on the current roster (100+ shots). Best and worst zones compare his FG% with the league average there (50+ shots per zone). A side lean shows only when he has 60+ shots on each side and a gap of 6+ points. Left and right are as our shot charts draw them (rim at the bottom), and shots at the rim are left out of the side split.
  • Tempo and glass: a pace gap of 2+ possessions per 48 minutes; offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding and turnovers when one team is top 5 and the other bottom 5 (widened to 8 when fewer than 2 edges show up).

Data: team zones come from every counted regular season shot (made and missed; backcourt heaves left out; left and right corner 3s combined). Defense zones use the shots each team allowed. Lineups come from our play-by-play lineup stints. Before a team has played 10 games this season, its plan uses last season's numbers with today's roster, and lineups that no longer exist are skipped.

What it cannot see: there is no tracking data, so no defender distance, individual matchups or play types (pick and roll, isolation, post ups). Team zone numbers include every player a team used, even ones who have left. Injuries and rest are not in the plan, and season numbers can hide a recent change in form.