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Game plans · Saturday, January 9

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

76ers at Lakers

How the 76ers 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 rim33.4% of 76ers shots come at the rim (5th most), and the Lakers allow 70.5% there (29th of 30).
  3. Take awayTake away the paint21.5% of Lakers shots come in the paint (7th most) and they make 48.8% (1st). The 76ers defense there ranks 5th (42.4% allowed).
  4. AttackAttack midrangeThe 76ers shoot 43.0% from midrange (9th), and the Lakers allow 44.7% there (29th of 30).

How the Lakers 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%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZonePHI offenseLAL defenseLAL offensePHI defense
At the rim63.3% (28th)70.5% (29th)73.4% (1st)65.4% (14th)
Paint40.7% (25th)43.0% (9th)48.8% (1st)42.4% (5th)
Midrange43.0% (9th)44.7% (29th)44.4% (5th)40.7% (11th)
Corner 337.2% (24th)37.7% (8th)34.9% (29th)39.1% (20th)
Above-the-break 334.2% (22nd)34.2% (10th)36.3% (6th)33.8% (3rd)

Matchups on Sat, Jan 9

6 games
  • Nuggets at Cavaliers5:00 PM ET

    How the Nuggets beat the Cavaliers

    1. AttackAttack the corner 3The Nuggets shoot 44.2% from the corners (1st), and the Cavaliers allow 40.1% there (25th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Nuggets shoot 37.8% from above the break (1st), and the Cavaliers allow 36.1% there (25th of 30).

    How the Cavaliers 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 paintThe Cavaliers shoot 47.8% in the paint (4th), and the Nuggets allow 45.3% there (22nd of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Rockets at Nets6:00 PM ET

    How the Rockets beat the Nets

    1. AttackAttack the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most), and the Nets allow 46.6% there (25th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Rockets shoot 36.1% from above the break (7th), and the Nets allow 36.4% there (28th of 30).

    How the Nets 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 Nets defense there ranks 25th (46.6% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Bucks at Pacers7:00 PM ET

    How the Bucks beat the Pacers

    1. AttackAttack midrange12.6% of Bucks shots come from midrange (3rd most), and the Pacers allow 45.4% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 3The Bucks shoot 42.9% from the corners (2nd), and the Pacers allow 39.4% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Pacers 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 Pacers defense there ranks 22nd (39.4% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Bulls at Warriors8:30 PM ET

    How the Bulls beat the Warriors

    1. AttackAttack the corner 312.0% of Bulls shots come from the corners (6th most), and the Warriors allow 40.9% there (27th of 30).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Stephen CurryCurry (26.6 points per game): best from midrange (52% on 91 shots, league 42%), worst at the rim (68%, league 66%).

    How the Warriors beat the Bulls

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 336.3% of Warriors shots come from above the break (3rd most), and the Bulls allow 36.6% there (29th of 30).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Warriors play at 98.3 possessions per 48 minutes (18th in pace), the Bulls at 101.9 (2nd). Make it a half-court game.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Hornets at Trail Blazers10:00 PM ET

    How the Hornets beat the Trail Blazers

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Hornets grab 30.5% of their misses (4th), and the Trail Blazers rank 25th on the defensive glass (72.7%).
    2. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Trail Blazers force turnovers on 13.0% of plays (7th) and the Hornets give it away on 12.8% (24th of 30).

    How the Trail Blazers 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 Trail Blazers defense there ranks 14th (34.5% allowed).
    2. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Hornets grab 30.5% of their misses (4th) and the Trail Blazers rank 25th on the defensive glass (72.7%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Celtics at Clippers10:30 PM ET

    How the Celtics 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 338.5% of Celtics shots come from above the break (1st most), and the Clippers allow 35.6% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Clippers beat the Celtics

    1. 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 Clippers defense there ranks 22nd (35.6% allowed).
    2. 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%).

    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.