NBA Matchups, Lineups and Injury News 3/24/19

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: Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle) is questionable. Nikola Mirotic (thumb), Malcolm Brogdon (foot), and Pau Gasol (ankle) will all miss extended time.

Cavaliers: Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) is out.

Celtics: Al Horford (knee), Gordon Hayward (concussion), Aron Baynes (ankle), Jayson Tatum (back), Robert Williams III (back) are day-to-day.

Clippers: Wilson Chandler (quad) and Luc Mbah a Moute (knee) are out.

Kings: Harry Giles III (thigh) is day to day.

Knicks: Noah Vonleh (ankle) Dennis Smith Jr. (back) and Allonzo Trier (calf) out.

Lakers: LeBron James (knee) is probable. Josh Hart (knee) is out.

Nuggets: None

Pacers: Darren Collison (ankle) is questionable.

Pelicans: Jrue Holiday (abdominal strain) and E’Twaun Moore (quad) are out.

Pistons: None

Raptors: None

Rockets: None

Spurs: None

Warriors: Klay Thompson (knee), Shaun Livingston (neck) and Alfonso McKinnie (hip) are probable. Kevon Looney (pelvis) is out.

Today’s NBA Matchups

Contents

Charlotte Hornets (33-39) at Toronto Raptors (51-22)

Line: Raptors -10, O/U: 220

Raptors: 114 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Hornets: 111 ppg, below average defense, average pace.

Notes:

• Toronto beat OKC at their place in overtime, but lost to them at home in the next game.
• Kawhi Leonard put up 22 the first game and 37 in the second, not bad when you’re lining up across from Paul George.
• Kyle Lowry is questionable again with an ankle injury. He’s missed four of the last five.
• Pascal Siakam is averaging 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per game in his last ten.
• Marc Gasol seems to have the starting center job over Serge Ibaka, splitting the minutes 28-20 in the last game.
• The Hornets are just 2.5 games back of the playoffs after a stunning comeback win over the Celtics. They trailed by 18 with 8:22 left in the game, and closed it out on a 30-5 run.
• Kemba Walker scored 18 of his 36 in the fourth, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to keep chipping away. It is March, after all. He also kicked in 11 boards and 9 rebounds.

Cleveland Cavaliers (19-54) at Milwaukee Bucks (54-19)

Line: Bucks -12.5, O/U: 223

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

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

Notes:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 116-87 win over the Heat with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks. He’s listed as questionable tonight with an ankle.
• Fellow All Star Khris Middleton added 18 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds, kicking his play up a notch as the playoffs approach.
• The Bucks had been healthy all year, but the injury bug has bitten at the worst possible time. Nikola Mirotic, Malcolm Brogdon, and Pau Gasol will all be out for at least a few weeks.
• The Cavs are winning more games late in the season, including 107-102 over these Bucks earlier this week with Giannis resting.
• They won that game even though Kevin Love shot 1-10 from the floor.
• Jordan Clarkson is good for 17 off the bench. He had 23 the lat time these teams played.
• Rookie Collin Sexton, who earlier in the season people felt “couldn’t Play basketball,” has scored 20+ in his last eight games.

Denver Nuggets (49-22) at Indiana Pacers (44-29)

Line: Nuggets -2, O/U: 209

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

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

Notes:

• The Pacers just went 0-4 on a tough west coast swing, but the closest game was 102-100 in Denver. Five guys scored at least 15 points, but they shot just 25% from deep as a team.
• Bojan Bogdanovic had scored in double figures every game since Oladipo went down, but he was held to just 9 points in a 112-89 loss to Golden State.
• Darren Collison has been a reliable replacement for Oladipo, but he’s questionable tonight with an ankle.
• Tyreke Evans has scored 19 and 20 points in consecutive games, shooting the ball much better than he has all year.
• The Nuggets haven’t been flat-out dominant, but they’ve won their last six games.
• Nikola Jokic brings it every night. He had 21 points, 17 boards and 5 assists in just 28 minutes in a 111-93 win in New York.
• Everyone in the Nuggets starting five is averaging double figure scoring, plus two more off the bench. Jokic, Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray, Will Barton and Gary Harris are outscoring opponents by nearly 15 points per 100 possessions.

Detroit Pistons (37-35) at Golden State Warriors (49-23)

Line: Warriors -10, O/U: 218

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

Pistons: 107 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Warriors trailed by as many as 43 points in a 126-91 drubbing by Luka, Dirk and the Mavs last night. It was the worst home loss for the Warriors since 2007.
• Steph Curry rested that game, and nobody else played more than 30 minutes because of the back to back and the blowout nature of the game.
• Draymond Green made more threes (1) than Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined (0-12), which has to be a first.
• DeMarcus Cousins has scored 19 in both of the games since he missed a couple.
• The Pistons also suffered a tough loss late last night, 117-112 in Portland.
• Blake Griffin had 26 points and 6 assists, but just 3 boards as the Blazers out-rebounded them 42-29.
• Andre Drummond put up 19 points and 11 boards in 39 minutes, and Reggie Jackson added 24.

Houston Rockets (46-27) at New Orleans Pelicans (31-43)

Line: Rockets -10.5, O/U: 228

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

Rockets: 113 ppg, bottom five defense, bottom five pace

Notes:

• The Pelicans are tanking pretty hard now, losers of four of their last five.
• Anthony Davis is only playing 20 minutes a game when he does play, and Jrue Holiday remains out with an ab strain.
• Julius Randle put up 30 in an OT win over Dallas, then managed just 6 points in a 119-96 loss to the Magic.
• The Rockets are soaring, winners of eight of their last ten.
• James Harden put up a career-high 61 in a 111-105 win over the Spurs. 41 of those points came from threes and free throws.
• Chris Paul added 18 and 5 while Clint Capela grabbed 16 boards.

Los Angeles Clippers (43-30) at New York Knicks (14-59)

Line: -8.5, O/U: 223

Knicks: 105 ppg, second worst defense in the NBA, average pace

Clippers: 115 ppg, below average defense, fast pace

Notes:

• The Knicks have lost nine of their last ten. The last four losses have all come by 18+ points.
• Dennis Smith Jr. is out again. Emmanuel Mudiay filled in with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a loss to Denver.
• DeAndre Jordan has played just 20 minutes or so per game in the last three blowout losses.
• The Clippers have won four straight and nine of their last ten, and they’ll be somewhere between the fifth and eighth seed in the West.
• Danilo Gallinari put up 27 points to lead LA to a 110-108 win in Cleveland on Friday.
• Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell make the Clippers bench one of the most dangerous in the league.

Sacramento Kings (36-36) at Los Angeles Lakers (31-41)

Line: Kings -1.5, O/U: 231

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

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

Notes:

• The Lakers have lost five in a row. It’s been over for a long time, and while it’s easy to roast LeBron for choosing this less than ideal basketball situation, nobody could have predicted the injuries that plagued the team this year.
• JaVale McGee put up 33 points and 20 rebounds in the loss to DLo’s Nets that officially eliminated LA from playoff contention. Poetic, really.
• The Kings had a good run this year, but unless something miraculous happens they’re not going to make the playoffs this year.
• Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes combined for 50 points and 13 rebounds in a 112-103 win over the Suns.
• De’Aaron Fox had 13 points and 9 assists, and finished the game with a crazy windmill.
• Rookie Marvin Bagley III put up 16 points and 11 rebounds, and their season might have panned out differently had he not sprained his knee a few weeks back.

Marquee Matchup

San Antonio Spurs (42-31) at Boston Celtics (43-30)

Line: Celtics -1, O/U: 220

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

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

Notes:

• The Celtics built an 18-point lead in Charlotte last night, then lost the game on a 30-5 run for their third L in a row.
• Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown combined for 60 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and they both need to come up big tonight.
• It’s a good thing Boston is one of the deepest teams in the league, because you could make a playoff team out of the guys they have listed as day-to-day right now. Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Aron Baynes and Robert Williams III are all up in the air.
• The Spurs had won nine in a row, but they’ve lost their last two to Miami and Houston. James Harden dropped a career-high 61, SA shot just 7-24 from deep, and it was still just 111-105 Rockets.
• LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan combined for just 26 points on 12-32 shooting in the loss, and Aldridge managed just 4 rebounds.
• Derrick White will be tasked with stopping Kyrie Irving tonight, and that should be very fun to watch.