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Game plans · Tuesday, February 10

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

Thunder at Mavericks

How the Thunder beat the Mavericks

  1. AttackAttack midrangeThe Thunder shoot 48.1% from midrange (1st), and the Mavericks allow 42.7% there (23rd of 30).
  2. AttackAttack the paintThe Thunder shoot 46.1% in the paint (7th), and the Mavericks allow 45.5% there (24th of 30).
  3. TempoSlow it downThe Thunder play at 98.5 possessions per 48 minutes (16th in pace), the Mavericks at 101.1 (4th). Make it a half-court game.
  4. 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 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. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the Thunder at 98.5 (16th). Run and make them keep up.
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneOKC offenseDAL defenseDAL offenseOKC defense
At the rim67.2% (10th)66.2% (16th)64.6% (24th)60.1% (1st)
Paint46.1% (7th)45.5% (24th)45.4% (11th)39.9% (1st)
Midrange48.1% (1st)42.7% (23rd)39.4% (24th)38.0% (1st)
Corner 338.1% (17th)37.2% (6th)37.1% (25th)39.9% (24th)
Above-the-break 335.9% (8th)34.2% (9th)33.2% (28th)35.6% (23rd)

Matchups on Tue, Feb 10

4 games
  • Pacers at KnicksFinal

    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).

    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).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Clippers at RocketsFinal

    How the Clippers 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 Clippers defense there ranks 10th (43.5% allowed).

    How the Rockets 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 Rockets shoot 36.1% from above the break (7th), and the Clippers allow 35.6% there (22nd of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Mavericks at SunsFinal

    How the Mavericks beat the Suns

    1. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the Suns at 96.3 (24th). Run and make them keep up.
    2. 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 Mavericks

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Suns play at 96.3 possessions per 48 minutes (24th in pace), the Mavericks at 101.1 (4th). Make it a half-court game.
    2. AttackAttack midrange11.7% of Suns shots come from midrange (6th most), and the Mavericks allow 42.7% there (23rd of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Spurs at LakersFinal

    How the Spurs 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. Take awayTake away the paint21.5% of Lakers shots come in the paint (7th most) and they make 48.8% (1st). The Spurs defense there ranks 7th (42.5% allowed).

    How the Lakers beat the Spurs

    1. AttackAttack midrangeThe Lakers shoot 44.4% from midrange (5th), and the Spurs allow 42.5% there (22nd of 30).
    2. 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%).

    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.