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Game plans · Thursday, February 19

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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Lakers at Rockets

How the Lakers 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 Lakers defense there ranks 9th (43.0% 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.
  4. TempoPush the paceThe Lakers play at 97.6 possessions per 48 minutes (21st in pace), the Rockets at 95.2 (29th). Run and make them keep up.

How the Rockets beat the Lakers

  1. AttackAttack midrange12.8% of Rockets shots come from midrange (2nd most), and the Lakers allow 44.7% there (29th of 30).
  2. 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%).
  3. Take awayTake away the paint21.5% of Lakers shots come in the paint (7th most) and they make 48.8% (1st). The Rockets defense there ranks 15th (44.1% allowed).
  4. TempoSlow it downThe Rockets play at 95.2 possessions per 48 minutes (29th in pace), the Lakers at 97.6 (21st). Make it a half-court game.
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneLAL offenseHOU defenseHOU offenseLAL defense
At the rim73.4% (1st)65.3% (12th)65.8% (16th)70.5% (29th)
Paint48.8% (1st)44.1% (15th)47.2% (6th)43.0% (9th)
Midrange44.4% (5th)39.1% (2nd)40.2% (20th)44.7% (29th)
Corner 334.9% (29th)38.5% (12th)37.3% (21st)37.7% (8th)
Above-the-break 336.3% (6th)34.1% (6th)36.1% (7th)34.2% (10th)

Matchups on Thu, Feb 19

10 games
  • Rockets at HornetsFinal

    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%).

    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).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Nets at CavaliersFinal

    How the Nets 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 333.9% of Nets shots come from above the break (6th most), and the Cavaliers allow 36.1% there (25th of 30).

    How the Cavaliers beat the Nets

    1. AttackAttack the paintThe Cavaliers shoot 47.8% in the paint (4th), and the Nets allow 46.6% there (25th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 333.3% of Cavaliers shots come from above the break (7th most), and the Nets allow 36.4% there (28th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Hawks at 76ersFinal

    How the Hawks 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%).

    How the 76ers 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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pacers at WizardsFinal

    How the Pacers beat the Wizards

    1. Take awayTake away midrange12.1% of Wizards shots come from midrange (5th most) and they make 43.4% (8th). The Pacers defense there ranks 30th (45.4% allowed).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Anthony DavisDavis (20.4 points per game): best in the paint (44% on 77 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (38%, league 42%).

    How the Wizards beat the Pacers

    1. AttackAttack midrange12.1% of Wizards shots come from midrange (5th most), and the Pacers allow 45.4% there (30th 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
  • Pistons at KnicksFinal

    How the Pistons 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 Pistons defense there ranks 11th (38.5% allowed).

    How the Knicks 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. TempoSlow it downThe Knicks play at 96.1 possessions per 48 minutes (26th in pace), the Pistons at 98.3 (18th). Make it a half-court game.

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Raptors at BullsFinal

    How the Raptors beat the Bulls

    1. AttackAttack midrangeThe Raptors shoot 44.1% from midrange (6th), and the Bulls allow 43.1% there (25th of 30).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Raptors play at 97.5 possessions per 48 minutes (22nd in pace), the Bulls at 101.9 (2nd). Make it a half-court game.

    How the Bulls 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. TempoPush the paceThe Bulls play at 101.9 possessions per 48 minutes (2nd in pace), the Raptors at 97.5 (22nd). Run and make them keep up.

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Suns at SpursFinal

    How the Suns 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%).
    2. AttackAttack midrange11.7% of Suns shots come from midrange (6th most), and the Spurs allow 42.5% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Spurs beat the Suns

    1. AttackAttack the rim32.3% of Spurs shots come at the rim (7th most), and the Suns allow 67.9% there (23rd of 30).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Spurs play at 99.1 possessions per 48 minutes (13th in pace), the Suns at 96.3 (24th). Run and make them keep up.

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Celtics at WarriorsFinal

    How the Celtics beat the Warriors

    1. AttackAttack the paintThe Celtics shoot 48.2% in the paint (3rd), and the Warriors allow 47.0% there (26th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 3The Celtics shoot 41.8% from the corners (4th), and the Warriors allow 40.9% there (27th of 30).

    How the Warriors beat the Celtics

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 336.3% of Warriors shots come from above the break (3rd 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 Warriors defense there ranks 13th (34.4% allowed).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Magic at KingsFinal

    How the Magic beat the Kings

    1. AttackAttack the rim32.6% of Magic shots come at the rim (6th most), and the Kings allow 69.8% there (28th of 30).
    2. Take awayTake away the paint26.4% of Kings shots come in the paint (1st most) and they make 45.7% (9th). The Magic defense there ranks 23rd (45.3% allowed).

    How the Kings beat the Magic

    1. AttackAttack the paint26.4% of Kings shots come in the paint (1st most), and the Magic allow 45.3% there (23rd of 30).
    2. 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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Nuggets at ClippersFinal

    How the Nuggets 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 Nuggets shoot 37.8% from above the break (1st), and the Clippers allow 35.6% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Clippers 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 rimThe Clippers shoot 69.4% at the rim (3rd), and the Nuggets allow 69.1% there (27th of 30).

    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.