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Game plans · Saturday, November 28

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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Cavaliers at Knicks

How the Cavaliers 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 Cavaliers defense there ranks 25th (40.1% allowed).
  3. 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%).
  4. AttackAttack the above-the-break 333.3% of Cavaliers shots come from above the break (7th most), and the Knicks allow 35.5% there (21st of 30).
  5. TempoPush the paceThe Cavaliers play at 99.1 possessions per 48 minutes (13th in pace), the Knicks at 96.1 (26th). Run and make them keep up.

How the Knicks beat the Cavaliers

  1. AttackAttack the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most), and the Cavaliers allow 40.1% there (25th of 30).
  2. 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.
  3. TempoSlow it downThe Knicks play at 96.1 possessions per 48 minutes (26th in pace), the Cavaliers at 99.1 (13th). Make it a half-court game.
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneCLE offenseNYK defenseNYK offenseCLE defense
At the rim67.2% (11th)64.2% (6th)65.8% (18th)62.6% (4th)
Paint47.8% (4th)44.2% (17th)45.2% (13th)44.0% (13th)
Midrange44.5% (4th)39.9% (8th)44.9% (2nd)42.4% (20th)
Corner 337.6% (18th)37.8% (9th)41.6% (6th)40.1% (25th)
Above-the-break 335.4% (11th)35.5% (21st)35.3% (12th)36.1% (25th)

Matchups on Sat, Nov 28

5 games
  • Magic at Wizards5:00 PM ET

    How the Magic beat the Wizards

    1. AttackAttack the rim32.6% of Magic shots come at the rim (6th most), and the Wizards allow 68.5% there (26th of 30).
    2. Take awayTake away midrange12.1% of Wizards shots come from midrange (5th most) and they make 43.4% (8th). The Magic defense there ranks 18th (42.1% allowed).

    How the Wizards 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 Wizards shoot 67.3% at the rim (9th), and the Magic allow 67.5% there (21st of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Nets at Hornets6:00 PM ET

    How the Nets 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 Nets defense there ranks 28th (36.4% allowed).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Brandon MillerMiller (20.2 points per game): best from the corners (42% on 71 shots, league 39%), worst from midrange (37%, league 42%).

    How the Hornets beat the Nets

    1. AttackAttack the corner 3The Hornets shoot 42.8% from the corners (3rd), and the Nets allow 42.3% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 337.3% of Hornets shots come from above the break (2nd most), and the Nets allow 36.4% there (28th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pacers at Bulls8:00 PM ET

    How the Pacers beat the Bulls

    1. AttackAttack midrange11.6% of Pacers shots come from midrange (7th most), 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 Pacers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Pascal SiakamSiakam (24.0 points per game): best in the paint (47% on 330 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (33%, league 42%). 34% on the left side, 43% on the right; push him left.
    2. AttackAttack the corner 312.0% of Bulls shots come from the corners (6th most), and the Pacers allow 39.4% there (22nd of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

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

    How the Thunder 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 Thunder defense there ranks 24th (39.9% allowed).

    How the Bucks beat the Thunder

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Thunder force turnovers on 14.0% of plays (2nd) and the Bucks 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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • 76ers at Rockets8:30 PM ET

    How the 76ers 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. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Rockets grab 34.8% of their misses (1st) and the 76ers rank 26th on the defensive glass (72.5%).

    How the Rockets beat the 76ers

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Rockets grab 34.8% of their misses (1st), and the 76ers rank 26th on the defensive glass (72.5%).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Rockets play at 95.2 possessions per 48 minutes (29th in pace), the 76ers at 98.8 (15th). 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.