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Game plans · Wednesday, March 4

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
at

Mavericks at Clippers

How the Mavericks beat the Clippers

  1. Key scorerKey scorer: Brandon IngramIngram (21.5 points per game): best from the corners (52% on 93 shots, league 39%), worst from above the break (33%, league 35%).
  2. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.

How the Clippers beat the Mavericks

  1. TempoSlow it downThe Clippers play at 95.6 possessions per 48 minutes (28th in pace), the Mavericks at 101.1 (4th). Make it a half-court game.
  2. AttackAttack the paint21.5% of Clippers shots come in the paint (6th most), and the Mavericks allow 45.5% there (24th of 30).
  3. Key scorerKey scorer: Cooper FlaggFlagg (21.0 points per game): best in the paint (46% on 360 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (30%, league 35%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneDAL offenseLAC defenseLAC offenseDAL defense
At the rim64.6% (24th)67.2% (20th)69.4% (3rd)66.2% (16th)
Paint45.4% (11th)43.5% (10th)45.3% (12th)45.5% (24th)
Midrange39.4% (24th)39.4% (3rd)41.4% (17th)42.7% (23rd)
Corner 337.1% (25th)38.8% (15th)41.6% (5th)37.2% (6th)
Above-the-break 333.2% (28th)35.6% (22nd)35.1% (14th)34.2% (9th)

Matchups on Wed, Mar 4

6 games
  • Thunder at KnicksFinal

    How the Thunder beat the Knicks

    1. TargetTarget this lineupWhen Anunoby, Bridges, Brunson, Towns and McBride share the floor (91 min), they allow 129.1 per 100, against 114.1 for the team: attack it.
    2. Take awayTake away the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most) and they make 41.6% (6th). The Thunder defense there ranks 24th (39.9% allowed).

    How the Knicks beat the Thunder

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderGilgeous-Alexander (31.1 points per game): best from midrange (54% on 332 shots, league 42%), worst from above the break (39%, league 35%).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most), and the Thunder allow 39.9% there (24th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Hornets at CelticsFinal

    How the Hornets beat the Celtics

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 337.3% of Hornets shots come from above the break (2nd most), and the Celtics allow 35.7% there (24th of 30).
    2. Take awayTake away the above-the-break 338.5% of Celtics shots come from above the break (1st most) and they make 35.6% (10th). The Hornets defense there ranks 17th (35.1% allowed).

    How the Celtics 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 Celtics defense there ranks 24th (35.7% 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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Jazz at 76ersFinal

    How the Jazz beat the 76ers

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe 76ers force turnovers on 12.8% of plays (8th) and the Jazz give it away on 12.8% (24th of 30).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Jazz play at 101.6 possessions per 48 minutes (3rd in pace), the 76ers at 98.8 (15th). Run and make them keep up.

    How the 76ers beat the Jazz

    1. 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%).
    2. AttackAttack the rim33.4% of 76ers shots come at the rim (5th most), and the Jazz allow 72.0% there (30th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Trail Blazers at GrizzliesFinal

    How the Trail Blazers beat the Grizzlies

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Trail Blazers grab 31.3% of their misses (2nd), and the Grizzlies rank 29th on the defensive glass (70.9%).
    2. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Grizzlies force turnovers on 12.8% of plays (8th) and the Trail Blazers give it away on 14.0% (30th of 30).

    How the Grizzlies beat the Trail Blazers

    1. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Trail Blazers grab 31.3% of their misses (2nd) and the Grizzlies rank 29th on the defensive glass (70.9%).
    2. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Grizzlies force turnovers on 12.8% of plays (8th), and the Trail Blazers give it away on 14.0% (30th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Hawks at BucksFinal

    How the Hawks beat the Bucks

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Tyler HerroHerro (20.5 points per game): best in the paint (58% on 165 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (36%, league 42%).
    2. Take awayTake away the corner 313.4% of Bucks shots come from the corners (3rd most) and they make 42.9% (2nd). The Hawks defense there ranks 10th (38.1% allowed).

    How the Bucks beat the Hawks

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Hawks force turnovers on 13.2% of plays (6th) and the Bucks give it away on 13.3% (27th of 30).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Bucks play at 96.8 possessions per 48 minutes (23rd in pace), the Hawks at 100.7 (7th). Make it a half-court game.

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pacers at ClippersFinal

    How the Pacers beat the Clippers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Brandon IngramIngram (21.5 points per game): best from the corners (52% on 93 shots, league 39%), worst from above the break (33%, league 35%).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Pacers play at 100.3 possessions per 48 minutes (8th in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.

    How the Clippers beat the Pacers

    1. AttackAttack the paint21.5% of Clippers shots come in the paint (6th most), and the Pacers allow 47.1% there (27th of 30).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Pascal SiakamSiakam (24.0 points per game): best in the paint (47% on 330 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (33%, league 42%). 34% on the left side, 43% on the right; push him left.

    2025-26 so far

    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.