NBA Matchups, Lineups and Injury News 3/14/19

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: Sterling Brown (wrist) and Donte DiVincenzo (heel) are out.

Bulls: None

Cavaliers: Tristan Thompson (foot), Larry Nance Jr. (chest), and Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) are day-to-day. Marquese Chriss (suspension) is out.

Celtics: Jayson Tatum (shoulder) is expected to play. Daniel Theis and Marcus Smart are questionable.

Clippers: Luc Mbah a Moute (knee) remains out.

Grizzlies: Avery Bradley (knee/ankle) and Justin Holiday (neck) are probable. Kyle Anderson (shoulder) remains out.

Hawks: Alex Poythress (ankle) and Miles Plumlee (knee) are out. Dewayne Dedmon (knee) is doubtful.

Heat: Josh Richardson (hamstring) is questionable.

Hornets: Jeremy Lamb (hamstring) is probable.

Jazz: Ricky Rubio (hip) is day-to-day.

Kings: Marvin Bagley III (knee sprain) is questionable.

Knicks: Frank Ntilikina (groin) is out. Mario Hezonja (knee) is questionable.

Lakers: Lance Stephenson (toe), Josh Hart (knee) and Tyson Chandler (neck) are questionable. Lonzo Ball (ankle) and Brandon Ingram (shoulder) are done for the year.

Magic: None

Mavericks: Luka Doncic (knee) is day-to-day.

Nets: Treveon Graham (back) and DeMarre Carroll (knee) are out.

Nuggets: Torrey Craig (hamstring) and Trey Lyles (hamstring) are questionable.

Pacers: Tyreke Evans (personal) is out.

Pelicans: Jrue Holiday (abdominal strain) and E’Twaun Moore (quad) are out. Jahlil Okafor (ankle) is questionable.

Pistons: None

Raptors: Kyle Lowry (ankle) is day-to-day. Serge Ibaka (suspension) is out.

Rockets: None

76ers: Jimmy Butler (rest) is out. Boban Marjanovic (knee) is available.

Spurs: Rudy Gay (illness) is questionable.

Suns: TJ Warren (ankle) is out.

Thunder: Markieff Morris (neck) is day-to-day.

Timberwolves: Karl Anthony Towns (knee) is probable. Andrew Wiggins (thigh), Jeff Teague (foot), Derrick Rose (elbow) are questionable. Luol Deng (Achilles) and Robert Covington (knee) are out.

Trail Blazers: Evan Turner (personal) is out.

Warriors: Kevin Durant (ankle) is out.

Wizards: None

Today’s NBA Matchups

Contents

Cleveland Cavaliers (17-51) at Orlando Magic (31-38)

Line: Magic -8, O/U: 211

Magic: 106 ppg, average defense, slow pace

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

Notes:

• Orlando has lost four of their last five, all road games, including 100-90 in Washington yesterday.
• Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 14 rebounds
• Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac both put up 13 points and 9 rebounds in the starting lineup in the loss.
• The Cavs aren’t tanking so well, playing .500 ball in the last ten games.
• Kevin Love is a big part of the recent success, and he didn’t play in a 106-99 loss to Philadelphia. He’s averaging 21 points and 11 boards since returning to the floor.
• Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman combined for 44 points in the loss.

Dallas Mavericks (27-40) at Denver Nuggets (44-22)

Line: Nuggets -11.5, O/U: 221

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

Mavericks: 109 ppg, average defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Nuggets have lost three of the last five, and the only wins came against teams already out of playoff contention.
• Nikola Jokic is averaging 21 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in his last ten, basically his average for the season.
• Jamal Murray put up 30 in a 133-107 win over the Timberwolves.
• The Mavs have lost nine of their last ten, and their season is pretty much over.
• Luka Doncic said he’s not 100% after scoring just 12 points and turning it over 9 times against Derrick White and the Spurs. He says he wants to play, but the Mavs would be wise to hold him out.

Los Angeles Lakers (31-36) at Toronto Raptors (48-20)

Line: Raptors -9, O/U: 232

Raptors: 114 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Lakers: 112 ppg, top ten defense, top five pace

Notes:

• The Raptors got blown out 126-101 by Cleveland, wasting 25 points and 9 rebounds from Kawhi Leonard.
• Serge Ibaka threw hands in that game, so Marc Gasol will be the starter at center for the next three games.
• Kyle Lowry is averaging 17 points and 9 assists in his last ten. He twisted his ankle in the loss but said it’s no biggie.
• Pascal Siakam is averaging 21 points and 7 rebounds in his last ten.
• The Lakers had lost four in a row before beating the Bulls, and they’re all but guaranteed to miss the playoffs.
• LeBron put up 36 in the win, still averaging 30 9 and 9 in this meaningless stretch of the season.
• Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are both done for the year, and the Lakers have a slew of other injuries.

Minnesota Timberwolves (32-36) at Utah Jazz (38-29)

Line: Jazz -8, O/U: 222

Jazz: 109 ppg, top five defense, average pace

Timberwolves: 112 ppg, below average defense, faster than average pace

Notes:

• The Jazz had lost three of their last four but bounced back with a 114-97 win over the Jazz.
• Donovan Mitchell led the way with 26 points in that game, and Rudy Gobert added 18 points and 20 rebounds.
• Ricky Rubio returned to the court, but only scored 6 points.
• Minnesota will miss the playoffs and the Jazz are fighting for positioning in a crowded Western Conference. Both have been pretty average lately, though.
• Karl-Anthony Towns is probable, but Andrew Wiggins and the rest of the Minnesota rotation is on the injury report, so take a look closer to tip.

Sacramento Kings (33-33) at Boston Celtics (41-27)

Line: Celtics -7.5, O/U: 228

Celtics: 112 ppg, top five defense, slower than average pace

Kings: 113 ppg, bottom-third defense, second-fastest pace

• The Celtics wrapped up a 3-1 west coast swing with a 140-115 loss to the Clippers.
• Kyrie Irving didn’t suit up when these teams played in Sacramento earlier this week, and Terry Rozier started and scored 16. Scary Terry led the team with 26 off the bench in the loss to LA, and both should be good to go tonight.
• Jayson Tatum is expected to play tonight, dealing with a shoulder issue.
• Gordon Hayward is a good bellwether for this team. When he scores in double figures, they tend to win.
• The Kings are 3-7 in their last ten, falling to 4.5 games out of the playoff hunt.
• De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 23 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in a 121-115 loss in Washington.
• Buddy Hield shot just 6-21 from the floor and 1-9 from three in the loss.
• Marvin Bagley III suffered a scary-looking knee injury a few weeks ago, but he’s been upgraded to questionable tonight.

Marquee Matchup

Oklahoma City Thunder (42-26) at Indiana Pacers (43-25)

Line: Pacers -1, O/U: 219

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

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

Notes:

• The Pacers have hardly stumbled in Victor Oladipo’s absence, they’re still among the best teams in the East. They’re coming off a 103-98 win in New York.
• Bojan Bogdanovic is averaging 23 points and 5 rebounds per game in his last ten, and he recovered from a tough few road games with 24 against the Knicks.
• The Thunder are under .500 in their last ten but they’ve won three of the last four including 108-96 over the Nets.
• Paul George had a solid game, scoring 25 points on 50% shooting for the first time in almost a month.
• Russell Westbrook put up 31 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds in the Brooklyn, averaging 29 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in his last ten.