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Game plans

Sunday, November 8

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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Bucks at Celtics

How the Bucks beat the Celtics

  1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Bucks shoot 36.9% from above the break (2nd), 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 Bucks defense there ranks 26th (36.4% allowed).
  3. AttackAttack midrange12.6% of Bucks shots come from midrange (3rd most), and the Celtics allow 42.5% there (21st of 30).
  4. TempoPush the paceThe Bucks play at 96.8 possessions per 48 minutes (23rd in pace), the Celtics at 94.2 (30th). Run and make them keep up.
  5. Key scorerKey scorer: Jayson TatumTatum (21.8 points per game): best from above the break (31% on 131 shots, league 35%), worst at the rim (62%, league 66%).

How the Celtics 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 Celtics defense there ranks 2nd (36.2% allowed).
  3. AttackAttack the corner 3The Celtics shoot 41.8% from the corners (4th), and the Bucks allow 41.1% there (29th of 30).
  4. AttackAttack the above-the-break 338.5% of Celtics shots come from above the break (1st most), and the Bucks allow 36.4% there (26th of 30).
  5. AttackAttack the rimThe Celtics shoot 70.5% at the rim (2nd), and the Bucks allow 68.5% there (25th of 30).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneMIL offenseBOS defenseBOS offenseMIL defense
At the rim68.7% (5th)64.8% (7th)70.5% (2nd)68.5% (25th)
Paint42.7% (23rd)41.4% (4th)48.2% (3rd)41.1% (3rd)
Midrange42.3% (12th)42.5% (21st)39.9% (21st)42.0% (15th)
Corner 342.9% (2nd)36.2% (2nd)41.8% (4th)41.1% (29th)
Above-the-break 336.9% (2nd)35.7% (24th)35.6% (10th)36.4% (26th)

02Matchups on Sun, Nov 8

7 games
  • 76ers at Bulls3:30 PM ET

    How the 76ers beat the Bulls

    1. AttackAttack midrangeThe 76ers shoot 43.0% from midrange (9th), and the Bulls allow 43.1% there (25th 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 76ers

    1. TempoPush the paceThe Bulls play at 101.9 possessions per 48 minutes (2nd in pace), the 76ers at 98.8 (15th). Run and make them keep up.
    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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Lakers at Pistons6:00 PM ET

    How the Lakers 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%).

    How the Pistons 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 rim36.0% of Pistons shots come at the rim (3rd most), and the Lakers allow 70.5% there (29th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Jazz at Timberwolves7:00 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
  • Nets at Mavericks7:30 PM ET

    How the Nets beat the Mavericks

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Nets play at 96.2 possessions per 48 minutes (25th in pace), the Mavericks at 101.1 (4th). Make it a half-court game.
    2. 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%).

    How the Mavericks beat the Nets

    1. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the Nets at 96.2 (25th). Run and make them keep up.
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Michael Porter Jr.Porter (24.2 points per game): best at the rim (75% on 227 shots, league 66%), worst from the corners (32%, league 39%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Celtics at Bucks8:00 PM ET

    How the Celtics 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 Celtics defense there ranks 2nd (36.2% allowed).

    How the Bucks beat the Celtics

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Bucks shoot 36.9% from above the break (2nd), 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 Bucks defense there ranks 26th (36.4% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pelicans at Clippers9:00 PM ET

    How the Pelicans 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 Pelicans play at 99.5 possessions per 48 minutes (11th in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.

    How the Clippers 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 paint21.5% of Clippers shots come in the paint (6th most), and the Pelicans allow 47.9% there (28th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Heat at Kings9:00 PM ET

    How the Heat beat the Kings

    1. AttackAttack the paint21.9% of Heat shots come in the paint (5th most), and the Kings allow 48.7% there (29th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Heat shoot 35.6% from above the break (9th), and the Kings allow 37.6% there (30th of 30).

    How the Kings 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 Kings play at 98.5 possessions per 48 minutes (16th in pace), the Heat at 102.8 (1st). Make it a half-court game.

    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.