Skip to content
Courtside

Game plans · Sunday, February 7

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 Hawks

How the Mavericks beat the Hawks

  1. Key scorerKey scorer: Jalen JohnsonJohnson (22.5 points per game): best at the rim (69% on 397 shots, league 66%), worst in the paint (42%, league 44%).

How the Hawks beat the Mavericks

  1. 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 offenseATL defenseATL offenseDAL defense
At the rim64.6% (24th)65.2% (10th)64.9% (21st)66.2% (16th)
Paint45.4% (11th)44.2% (18th)45.0% (14th)45.5% (24th)
Midrange39.4% (24th)42.0% (17th)42.3% (13th)42.7% (23rd)
Corner 337.1% (25th)38.1% (10th)38.9% (11th)37.2% (6th)
Above-the-break 333.2% (28th)34.6% (15th)36.4% (4th)34.2% (9th)

Matchups on Sun, Feb 7

8 games
  • Nuggets at Hawks3:00 PM ET

    How the Nuggets beat the Hawks

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Nuggets play at 97.7 possessions per 48 minutes (20th in pace), the Hawks at 100.7 (7th). Make it a half-court game.
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Jalen JohnsonJohnson (22.5 points per game): best at the rim (69% on 397 shots, league 66%), worst in the paint (42%, league 44%).

    How the Hawks 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. TempoPush the paceThe Hawks play at 100.7 possessions per 48 minutes (7th in pace), the Nuggets at 97.7 (20th). Run and make them keep up.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Warriors at Pistons3:00 PM ET

    How the Warriors beat the Pistons

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Pistons force turnovers on 14.1% of plays (1st) and the Warriors give it away on 13.3% (27th of 30).
    2. 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%).

    How the Pistons beat the Warriors

    1. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Pistons force turnovers on 14.1% of plays (1st), and the Warriors give it away on 13.3% (27th of 30).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Stephen CurryCurry (26.6 points per game): best from midrange (52% on 91 shots, league 42%), worst at the rim (68%, league 66%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Jazz at Timberwolves3:30 PM ET

    How the Jazz beat the Timberwolves

    1. AttackAttack the corner 311.9% of Jazz shots come from the corners (7th most), and the Timberwolves allow 40.7% there (26th of 30).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Anthony EdwardsEdwards (28.8 points per game): best from the corners (46% on 54 shots, league 39%), worst from midrange (44%, league 42%).

    How the Timberwolves 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 above-the-break 3The Timberwolves shoot 36.5% from above the break (3rd), and the Jazz allow 36.4% there (27th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Clippers at Mavericks4:30 PM ET

    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).

    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.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Hornets at Raptors6:00 PM ET

    How the Hornets beat the Raptors

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Kawhi LeonardLeonard (27.9 points per game): best in the paint (55% on 339 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (38%, league 35%).
    2. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Raptors force turnovers on 13.5% of plays (4th) and the Hornets give it away on 12.8% (24th of 30).

    How the Raptors 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 Raptors defense there ranks 2nd (33.7% allowed).
    2. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Raptors force turnovers on 13.5% of plays (4th), and the Hornets give it away on 12.8% (24th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Celtics at 76ers7:00 PM ET

    How the Celtics beat the 76ers

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Celtics grab 29.2% of their misses (6th), and the 76ers rank 26th on the defensive glass (72.5%).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Celtics play at 94.2 possessions per 48 minutes (30th in pace), the 76ers at 98.8 (15th). Make it a half-court game.

    How the 76ers beat the Celtics

    1. 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 76ers defense there ranks 3rd (33.8% allowed).
    2. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Celtics grab 29.2% of their misses (6th) and the 76ers rank 26th on the defensive glass (72.5%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Knicks at Thunder9:30 PM ET

    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).

    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).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Rockets at Kings10:30 PM ET

    How the Rockets beat the Kings

    1. AttackAttack the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most), and the Kings allow 48.7% there (29th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack midrange12.8% of Rockets shots come from midrange (2nd most), and the Kings allow 43.7% there (27th of 30).

    How the Kings 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 Kings defense there ranks 29th (48.7% allowed).

    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.