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Game plans · Saturday, March 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
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Knicks at Bucks

How the Knicks 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. AttackAttack the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most), and the Bucks allow 41.1% there (29th of 30).
  3. Take awayTake away the corner 313.4% of Bucks shots come from the corners (3rd most) and they make 42.9% (2nd). The Knicks defense there ranks 9th (37.8% allowed).

How the Bucks 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 Bucks defense there ranks 29th (41.1% allowed).
  3. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Bucks shoot 36.9% from above the break (2nd), and the Knicks allow 35.5% there (21st of 30).
  4. Key scorerKey scorer: Jalen BrunsonBrunson (26.0 points per game): best from midrange (51% on 296 shots, league 42%), worst at the rim (63%, league 66%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneNYK offenseMIL defenseMIL offenseNYK defense
At the rim65.8% (18th)68.5% (25th)68.7% (5th)64.2% (6th)
Paint45.2% (13th)41.1% (3rd)42.7% (23rd)44.2% (17th)
Midrange44.9% (2nd)42.0% (15th)42.3% (12th)39.9% (8th)
Corner 341.6% (6th)41.1% (29th)42.9% (2nd)37.8% (9th)
Above-the-break 335.3% (12th)36.4% (26th)36.9% (2nd)35.5% (21st)

Matchups on Sat, Mar 7

6 games
  • Magic at TimberwolvesFinal

    How the Magic 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%).

    How the Timberwolves 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 Timberwolves shoot 67.4% at the rim (8th), and the Magic allow 67.5% there (21st of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Nets at PistonsFinal

    How the Nets beat the Pistons

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Pistons force turnovers on 14.1% of plays (1st) and the Nets give it away on 13.7% (29th 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 Nets

    1. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Pistons force turnovers on 14.1% of plays (1st), and the Nets give it away on 13.7% (29th of 30).
    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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • 76ers at HawksFinal

    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%).

    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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Clippers at GrizzliesFinal

    How the Clippers beat the Grizzlies

    1. AttackAttack the rimThe Clippers shoot 69.4% at the rim (3rd), and the Grizzlies allow 68.4% there (24th of 30).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Clippers play at 95.6 possessions per 48 minutes (28th in pace), the Grizzlies at 100.8 (5th). Make it a half-court game.

    How the Grizzlies 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 Grizzlies play at 100.8 possessions per 48 minutes (5th in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Jazz at BucksFinal

    How the Jazz 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 Jazz defense there ranks 21st (39.2% allowed).

    How the Bucks 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 rimThe Bucks shoot 68.7% at the rim (5th), and the Jazz allow 72.0% there (30th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Warriors at ThunderFinal

    How the Warriors beat the Thunder

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Thunder force turnovers on 14.0% of plays (2nd) and the Warriors give it away on 13.3% (27th of 30).
    2. 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%).

    How the Thunder beat the Warriors

    1. AttackAttack midrangeThe Thunder shoot 48.1% from midrange (1st), and the Warriors allow 43.1% there (26th of 30).
    2. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Thunder force turnovers on 14.0% of plays (2nd), and the Warriors give it away on 13.3% (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.