NBA Projected Starting Lineups, Matchups, and Injury News 3/2/19

You can find all today’s starting lineups here. Follow live updates on Twitter.

For live betting information on all games, click here.

Injury News

For the most up to date injury information, click here.

Bucks: George Hill (groin) is out. Sterling Brown (wrist) is day-to-day.

Cavaliers: Ante Zizic (concussion) is out. Tristan Thompson (foot) is out.

Grizzlies: Ivan Rabb (heel) and Avery Bradley (knee/ankle) are probable. Kyle Anderson (shoulder) remains out.

Heat: Hassan Whiteside (hip), James Johnson (shoulder), Kelly Olynyk (ankle) and Goran Dragic (hamstring) are questionable. Derrick Jones Jr. (knee) is probable.

Jazz: None

Lakers: Lance Stephenson (toe) is questionable.

Magic: Evan Fournier (illness) and Wesley Iwundu (thigh) are day-to-day.

Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness) is day-to-day.

Nets: None

Nuggets: Trey Lyles (hamstring) is out.

Pacers: Tyreke Evans (illness) is questionable. Domantas Sabonis (ankle) is out.

Pelicans: Anthony Davis (rest) is out.

76ers: Joel Embiid (knee), Furkan Korkmaz (knee), and Boban Marjanovic (knee) are out

Spurs: None.

Suns: Devin Booker (sprained big toe) is probable.

Thunder: Paul George (shoulder) is out.

Warriors: Klay Thompson (knee) is questionable.

Today’s NBA Matchups

Contents

Brooklyn Nets (32-32) at Miami Heat (27-34)

Line: Heat -3.5, O/U: 221

Nets: 112 ppg, below average defense, below average pace

Heat: 105 ppg, top ten defense, slower than average pace

Notes:

• The Heat have lost four of five, the only win was the miracle bank shot by Dwyane Wade against the Warriors, and this Heat season is more about moments like that.
• Miami could be without Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, Kelly Olynyk and James Johnson tonight, so check the injury wire closer to tip.
• The Nets have lost a couple of games against beatable teams in the East to drop them back to .500.
• D’Angelo Russell is averaging 26 points and 8 assists per game in his last ten.
• Caris LeVert, Allen Crabbe, and Spencer Dinwiddie are all versatile wings returning from injury. How well they get settled come playoff time will determine how far this team can go.

Detroit Pistons (29-31) at Cleveland Cavaliers (15-47)

Line: Pistons -8, O/U: 214

Cavaliers: 104 ppg, worst defense in the NBA, bottom five pace

Pistons: 107 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Cavs have won three of their last four against tanking teams, most recently in New York 125-118.
• Kevin Love is all the way back, leading the Cavs with 26 points and 8 rebounds in that one.
• Cedi Osman, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton each added 21+ points.
• The Pistons climbed back into the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, for now.
• Detroit shot just 36% from the floor in a 105-93 loss in San Antonio.
• Andre Drummond had 10 points and 17 rebounds and Blake Griffin added 17, 7 and 7, but they shot just 11/32 combined. Memphis Grizzlies (24-39) at Dallas Mavericks (27-34) 

Line: Mavericks -4.5, O/U: 214

Mavericks: 109 ppg, average defense, average pace

Grizzlies: 101 ppg, top ten defense, bottom five pace

Notes:

• The Mavs lost five in a row but bounced back with a 110-101 win over Indiana.
• Luka Doncic missed two games with an ankle sprain, but in the two games since he’s had a 28-point triple double and 27, 10 boards and 7 dimes.
• Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20 points in the Indiana game, but he’s day-to-day with an illness.
• In their past five games, the Grizzlies have lost to the Bulls, the Cavs, and the Bulls again, but the beat the Lakers at the height of their dysfunction, so that’s something.
• Mike Conley, Jonas Valanciunas and Avery Bradley are the best players on the floor right now for Memphis.
• Kyle Anderson remains out with a shoulder injury, and Chandler Parsons is back and showing why the Grizzlies didn’t want to play him despite his contract.
• Jaren Jackson Jr. is dealing with a quad issue, and Memphis will probably keep him on the shelf to be cautious and enhance the tanking.

Oklahoma City Thunder (38-23) at San Antonio Spurs (34-29)

Line: Spurs -5, O/U: 230

Spurs: 112 ppg, below average defense, very slow pace

Thunder: 116 ppg, second-best defense in the NBA, top five pace

Notes:

• The Spurs finally got home after their 1-7 Rodeo Road Trip and beat Detroit 105-93.
• DeMar DeRozan had 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists, looking refreshed after the All-Star Break.
• Derrick White had 15 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, and he’ll likely guard Russell Westbrook tonight.
• LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 25 points in the last two games after a rough couple after the break.
• The Thunder have lost four of their last five most recently to a Joel Embiid-less Sixers.
• Paul George was going off until he shot just 11-43 in losses to Sacramento and Denver. He missed the Philly game with a shoulder injury, and he’s out again tonight.
• Russell Westbrook finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, but he shot just 1-9 from deep.
• Jerami Grant added 23, 6 and 6, and Markieff Morris slid into the starting lineup for 17, 4 and 4.

Orlando Magic (29-34) at Indiana Pacers (41-22)

Line: -3.5, O/U: 210

Pacers: 108 ppg, top five defense, slower than average pace

Magic: 105 ppg, average defense, slow pace

Notes:

• The Pacers bounced back from a few losses to beat the Timberwolves at home 122-115.
• Bojan Bogdanovic put up 37 points in that one, and he’s averaging 23 points per game in his last ten. He’s flourishing as the featured scorer with Oladipo out.
• Tyreke Evans and Domantas Sabonis have each missed the last few games, and Evans is questionable tonight while Sabonis remains out.
• Orlando’s last four games are utterly confusing: 110-109 loss to Bulls, 113-98 win in Toronto, 108-103 loss in New York, 103-96 win over Warriors.
• Aaron Gordon had 22 points and 15 rebounds, and even though it was a tough shooting night for Nikola Vucevic he still had 12 points, 13 boards, and 6 assists.

Los Angeles Lakers (30-32) at Phoenix Suns (12-51)

Line: Lakers -7, O/U: 235

Suns: 106 ppg, bottom five defense, average pace

Lakers: 112.5 ppg, top ten defense, top five pace

Notes:

• The Suns snapped a 17-game losing streak with a 124-121 win in Miami, then got right back to losing against the Pelicans.
• Devin Booker led the way with 26 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, but he shot 6-17 and turned it over 6 times.
• Deandre Ayton is averaging a very consistent 16 and 10.
• The Lakers have lost three of their last four, and they’re coming off a 131-120 loss to the Bucks last night.
• LeBron had 31 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists, averaging 29, 9 and 10 in his last five games.
• Brandon Ingram is averaging 28 points and 8 rebounds per game since the All Star break, shooting 58% from the floor and 47% from deep.
• Kyle Kuzma had just 12 points on 5-18 shooting in the loss.

Milwaukee Bucks (48-14) at Utah Jazz (35-26)

Line: Jazz -4, O/U: 225

Jazz: 109 ppg, top five defense, average pace

Bucks: 117 ppg, best defense in the NBA, very fast pace

Notes:

• The Jazz have won three in a row, the most recent being a very impressive 111-104 victory in Denver.
• Donovan Mitchell led the way with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, and Rudy Gobert added 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.
• Ricky Rubio missed the Nuggets win with a tight hamstring, and his status for later is unclear.
• Milwaukee has won seven in a row and 12 of their last 13, most recently 131-120 in LA over the Lakers.
• Eric Bledsoe signed a $70 million dollar extension and led the Bucks with a season-high 31 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists.
• Khris Middleton, Malcom Brogdon and three other Bucks scored in double figures.
• The Bucks are signing the recently bought out Pau Gasol, who wasn’t playing at all in San Antonio. If any team can absorb his defensive limitations, it’s Milwaukee.

New Orleans Pelicans (28-36) at Denver Nuggets (42-19)

Line: Nuggets -13, O/U: 238

Nuggets: 112 ppg, above average defense, bottom five pace.

Pelicans: 116 ppg, bottom five defense, top five pace

Notes:

• The Nuggets five-game winning streak was snapped by the Jazz 111-104.
• Nikola Jokic put up 16 points, 13 boards and 7 assists, but made just a third of his shots.
• Paul Millsap is averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds over the last ten games.
• Gary Harris is averaging 9 points in 22 minutes off the bench as he works his way back from an adductor injury.
• Jrue Holiday put up 21 points and 9 assists in the Pelicans’ 130-116 win over the Suns. He’s averaging 21 and 7.5 in his last ten.
• Anthony Davis is only playing about 20 minutes per game, and he’s out tonight for rest.
• Julius Randle is averaging 23 points and 7 assists in his last ten games.

Marquee Matchup

Golden State Warriors (43-19) at Philadelphia 76ers (40-22)

Line: Warriors -5.5, O/U: 238

76ers: 116 ppg, above average defense, faster than average pace

Warriors: 119 ppg, average defense, faster than average pace

Notes:

• The Sixers won a game in Oklahoma City for the first time ever, and they did it without Joel Embiid, who remains out. Embiid is averaging 27 points and 13.5 rebounds this year.
• Boban is out too, so expect the Sixers to go small for most of the game.
• Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler combined for 52 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists to lead the charge.
• Ben Simmons had a very Ben Simmons line with 11 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
• The Warriors have lost four of their last six, coming off losses in Miami and Orlando on back-to-back nights.
• Kevin Durant didn’t play in the Orlando game for rest purposes, and the Magic have a way of beating teams who disrespect them like that.
• Klay Thompson shot 3-12 from deep in Orlando, and he’s questionable for this one with a sore knee.
• Steph Curry‘s shooting splits have dipped from 48/44/92 for the season to 42/38/86 in his last five.
• DeMarcus Cousins rested in the loss, so he should be fresh for tonight.