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Game plans · Monday, February 2

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

Clippers at Lakers

How the Clippers beat the Lakers

  1. Key scorerKey scorer: Luka DoncicDoncic (33.5 points per game): best at the rim (79% on 174 shots, league 66%), worst from midrange (44%, league 42%).
  2. AttackAttack the rimThe Clippers shoot 69.4% at the rim (3rd), and the Lakers allow 70.5% there (29th of 30).
  3. Take awayTake away the paint21.5% of Lakers shots come in the paint (7th most) and they make 48.8% (1st). The Clippers defense there ranks 10th (43.5% allowed).
  4. TempoSlow it downThe Clippers play at 95.6 possessions per 48 minutes (28th in pace), the Lakers at 97.6 (21st). Make it a half-court game.

How the Lakers 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 Lakers shoot 36.3% from above the break (6th), and the Clippers allow 35.6% there (22nd of 30).
  3. TempoPush the paceThe Lakers play at 97.6 possessions per 48 minutes (21st in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneLAC offenseLAL defenseLAL offenseLAC defense
At the rim69.4% (3rd)70.5% (29th)73.4% (1st)67.2% (20th)
Paint45.3% (12th)43.0% (9th)48.8% (1st)43.5% (10th)
Midrange41.4% (17th)44.7% (29th)44.4% (5th)39.4% (3rd)
Corner 341.6% (5th)37.7% (8th)34.9% (29th)38.8% (15th)
Above-the-break 335.1% (14th)34.2% (10th)36.3% (6th)35.6% (22nd)

Matchups on Mon, Feb 2

4 games
  • Pelicans at HornetsFinal

    How the Pelicans 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 Pelicans defense there ranks 12th (34.3% allowed).
    2. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Hornets grab 30.5% of their misses (4th) and the Pelicans rank 28th on the defensive glass (71.4%).

    How the Hornets 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. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Hornets grab 30.5% of their misses (4th), and the Pelicans rank 28th on the defensive glass (71.4%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Rockets at PacersFinal

    How the Rockets beat the Pacers

    1. AttackAttack midrange12.8% of Rockets shots come from midrange (2nd most), and the Pacers allow 45.4% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most), and the Pacers allow 47.1% there (27th of 30).

    How the Pacers 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 Pacers defense there ranks 27th (47.1% allowed).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Timberwolves at GrizzliesFinal

    How the Timberwolves beat the Grizzlies

    1. Take awayTake away the paint22.1% of Grizzlies shots come in the paint (4th most) and they make 45.9% (8th). The Timberwolves defense there ranks 8th (42.9% allowed).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Ty JeromeJerome (19.7 points per game): best in the paint (53% on 64 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (40%, league 35%). 40% on the left side, 47% on the right; push him left.

    How the Grizzlies beat the Timberwolves

    1. 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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • 76ers at ClippersFinal

    How the 76ers 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 76ers play at 98.8 possessions per 48 minutes (15th in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.

    How the Clippers beat the 76ers

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Clippers play at 95.6 possessions per 48 minutes (28th in pace), the 76ers at 98.8 (15th). Make it a half-court game.
    2. 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%).

    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.