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Game plans · Monday, November 30

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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Thunder at Cavaliers

How the Thunder 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 3The Thunder shoot 35.9% from above the break (8th), and the Cavaliers allow 36.1% there (25th of 30).

How the Cavaliers 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. AttackAttack the above-the-break 333.3% of Cavaliers shots come from above the break (7th most), and the Thunder allow 35.6% there (23rd of 30).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneOKC offenseCLE defenseCLE offenseOKC defense
At the rim67.2% (10th)62.6% (4th)67.2% (11th)60.1% (1st)
Paint46.1% (7th)44.0% (13th)47.8% (4th)39.9% (1st)
Midrange48.1% (1st)42.4% (20th)44.5% (4th)38.0% (1st)
Corner 338.1% (17th)40.1% (25th)37.6% (18th)39.9% (24th)
Above-the-break 335.9% (8th)36.1% (25th)35.4% (11th)35.6% (23rd)

Matchups on Mon, Nov 30

7 games
  • Wizards at Hornets7:00 PM ET

    How the Wizards beat the Hornets

    1. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Hornets grab 30.5% of their misses (4th) and the Wizards rank 30th on the defensive glass (70.2%).
    2. 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 Wizards defense there ranks 20th (35.5% allowed).

    How the Hornets beat the Wizards

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Hornets grab 30.5% of their misses (4th), and the Wizards rank 30th on the defensive glass (70.2%).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 3The Hornets shoot 42.8% from the corners (3rd), and the Wizards allow 40.9% there (28th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Nuggets at Pistons7:00 PM ET

    How the Nuggets 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 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 rim36.0% of Pistons shots come at the rim (3rd most), and the Nuggets allow 69.1% there (27th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Thunder at Nets7:30 PM ET

    How the Thunder beat the Nets

    1. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Thunder force turnovers on 14.0% of plays (2nd), and the Nets give it away on 13.7% (29th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Thunder shoot 35.9% from above the break (8th), and the Nets allow 36.4% there (28th of 30).

    How the Nets beat the Thunder

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Thunder force turnovers on 14.0% of plays (2nd) and the Nets give it away on 13.7% (29th 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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Lakers at Rockets7:30 PM ET

    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).

    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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Celtics at Mavericks8:00 PM ET

    How the Celtics beat the Mavericks

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Celtics play at 94.2 possessions per 48 minutes (30th in pace), the Mavericks at 101.1 (4th). Make it a half-court game.
    2. AttackAttack the paintThe Celtics shoot 48.2% in the paint (3rd), and the Mavericks allow 45.5% there (24th of 30).

    How the Mavericks beat the Celtics

    1. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the Celtics at 94.2 (30th). Run and make them keep up.
    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 Mavericks defense there ranks 9th (34.2% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

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

    How the Spurs beat the Bucks

    1. AttackAttack the corner 313.9% of Spurs shots come from the corners (1st most), and the Bucks allow 41.1% there (29th of 30).
    2. 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%).

    How the Bucks beat the Spurs

    1. AttackAttack midrange12.6% of Bucks shots come from midrange (3rd most), 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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pelicans at Kings10:00 PM ET

    How the Pelicans beat the Kings

    1. AttackAttack the rim40.4% of Pelicans shots come at the rim (1st 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 Pelicans defense there ranks 28th (47.9% allowed).

    How the Kings beat the Pelicans

    1. AttackAttack the paint26.4% of Kings shots come in the paint (1st most), and the Pelicans allow 47.9% there (28th of 30).
    2. 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.

    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.