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Game plans

Friday, November 13

How each team beats its opponent: the zones to attack, what to take away, the lineup to target, the key scorer's weak spots, and the tempo and glass edges.

01Plan any matchup

Based on 2025-26, with the current roster
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Nuggets at Suns

How the Nuggets beat the Suns

  1. Key scorerKey scorer: Devin BookerBooker (26.1 points per game): best from midrange (46% on 314 shots, league 42%), worst from above the break (33%, league 35%).

How the Suns 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%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneDEN offensePHX defensePHX offenseDEN defense
At the rim66.7% (13th)67.9% (23rd)65.8% (17th)69.1% (27th)
Paint48.4% (2nd)44.1% (14th)43.7% (19th)45.3% (22nd)
Midrange44.8% (3rd)42.0% (16th)42.3% (11th)40.4% (10th)
Corner 344.2% (1st)36.4% (3rd)39.6% (7th)36.5% (4th)
Above-the-break 337.8% (1st)34.0% (5th)35.1% (13th)34.2% (11th)

02Matchups on Fri, Nov 13

9 games
  • Knicks at Pacers7:00 PM ET

    How the Knicks beat the Pacers

    1. AttackAttack midrangeThe Knicks shoot 44.9% from midrange (2nd), and the Pacers allow 45.4% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most), and the Pacers allow 39.4% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Pacers 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 Pacers defense there ranks 22nd (39.4% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Bucks at Magic7:00 PM ET

    How the Bucks beat the Magic

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Paolo BancheroBanchero (22.2 points per game): best from the corners (44% on 52 shots, league 39%), worst in the paint (35%, league 44%).
    2. AttackAttack the rimThe Bucks shoot 68.7% at the rim (5th), and the Magic allow 67.5% there (21st of 30).

    How the Magic 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 Magic defense there ranks 13th (38.5% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Cavaliers at Heat8:00 PM ET

    How the Cavaliers beat the Heat

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Giannis AntetokounmpoAntetokounmpo (27.6 points per game): best at the rim (76% on 411 shots, league 66%), worst from midrange (27%, league 42%).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Cavaliers play at 99.1 possessions per 48 minutes (13th in pace), the Heat at 102.8 (1st). Make it a half-court game.

    How the Heat 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.
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Heat shoot 35.6% from above the break (9th), and the Cavaliers allow 36.1% there (25th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Hawks at Bulls8:00 PM ET

    How the Hawks beat the Bulls

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Hawks shoot 36.4% from above the break (4th), and the Bulls allow 36.6% there (29th of 30).
    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%).

    How the Bulls 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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

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

    How the Grizzlies beat the Pelicans

    1. 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.
    2. AttackAttack the paint22.1% of Grizzlies shots come in the paint (4th most), and the Pelicans allow 47.9% there (28th of 30).

    How the Pelicans beat the Grizzlies

    1. AttackAttack the rim40.4% of Pelicans shots come at the rim (1st most), and the Grizzlies allow 68.4% there (24th of 30).
    2. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Pelicans grab 27.0% of their misses (8th), and the Grizzlies rank 29th on the defensive glass (70.9%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

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

    How the Jazz 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. TempoPush the paceThe Jazz play at 101.6 possessions per 48 minutes (3rd in pace), the Rockets at 95.2 (29th). Run and make them keep up.

    How the Rockets beat the Jazz

    1. AttackAttack the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most), and the Jazz allow 48.8% 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 Spurs9:30 PM ET

    How the Warriors beat the Spurs

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Victor WembanyamaWembanyama (25.0 points per game): best at the rim (75% on 389 shots, league 66%), worst from midrange (39%, league 42%).

    How the Spurs beat the Warriors

    1. AttackAttack the corner 313.9% of Spurs shots come from the corners (1st most), and the Warriors allow 40.9% there (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
  • Trail Blazers at Kings10:00 PM ET

    How the Trail Blazers beat the Kings

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 334.6% of Trail Blazers shots come from above the break (5th most), and the Kings allow 37.6% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the rim33.5% of Trail Blazers shots come at the rim (4th most), and the Kings allow 69.8% there (28th of 30).

    How the Kings beat the Trail Blazers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Deni AvdijaAvdija (24.2 points per game): best in the paint (42% on 220 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (31%, league 35%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Thunder at Clippers10:30 PM ET

    How the Thunder 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. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Thunder shoot 35.9% from above the break (8th), and the Clippers allow 35.6% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Clippers 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 3The Clippers shoot 41.6% from the corners (5th), and the Thunder allow 39.9% there (24th 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.