NBA Matchups, Lineups and Injury News 3/28/19

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Injury News

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Bucks: Tony Snell (ankle) is out. Donte DiVincenzo (heel) is out for the year.

Cavaliers: None

Clippers: Patrick Beverly (hip) and Landry Shamet (ankle) are questionable. Luc Mbah a Moute (knee) is out.

Heat: Rodney McGruder (knee) is out. Josh Richardson (heel) and Justise Winslow (thigh) are questionable.

Kings: None

Knicks: Noah Vonleh (foot) and Frank Ntilikina (groin) are out. Kevin Knox (knee) and Dennis Smith Jr. (back) are questionable.

Magic: None

Mavericks: None

Nets: Allen Crabbe (knee) is out.

Nuggets: Malik Beasley (personal) is questionable.

Pelicans: Anthony Davis (back) and Elfrid Payton (wrist) are probable. Jrue Holiday (abdominal strain) and E’Twaun Moore (quad), Frank Jackson (concussion) and Trevon Bluiett (thumb) are out.

Pistons: Zaza Pachulia (Achilles) and Jon Leuer (knee) are day-to-day.

Raptors: Kawhi Leonard (load management) is out. OG Anunoby (head) is day to day.

Rockets: Eric Gordon (ankle) is probable. Kenneth Faried (knee) and Gerald Green (shoulder) are out.

76ers: Mike Scott (back is day-to-day.

Spurs: None

Today’s NBA Matchups

Brooklyn Nets (38-37) at Philadelphia 76ers (41-24)

Line: Sixers -7.5, O/U: 232

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

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

Notes:

• The Sixers have lost back to back games, first a close one to the Hawks and then a blowout against the Magic.
• Joel Embiid had 20 and 10 in the 119-98 loss in Orlando,
• All-Star point guard Ben Simmons missed that game due to illness, but he’s not listed on the injury report today. Jimmy Butler stepped up as a facilitator with 7 assists.
• Tobias Harris is averaging 16 points and 8 rebounds in his last ten.
• The Nets wrap up a seven-game road trip tonight, and they’d sure like to finish with more than two wins.
• D’Angelo Russell put up 39 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in a double OT loss in Portland on Monday. Six other guys scored in double figures, but it wasn’t enough.
• Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert are key pieces coming off the bench for Brooklyn. They combined for 38 points and 7 assists, but sometimes they can’t hit anything.
• Allen Crabbe is out with a lingering knee issue, and there’s no timetable for his return.

Cleveland Cavaliers (19-56) at San Antonio Spurs (43-32)

Line: Spurs -12 O/U: 219

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

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

Notes:

• The Spurs are just 1-3 since their 9-game winning streak, but a home game against the Cavs and Manu Ginobili’s jersey retirement ceremony should help them right the ship.
• DeMar DeRozan had 30 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in a 125-116 OT loss in Charlotte. He sparked a fourth-quarter comeback, but his isolation buzzer beater to tie fell short at the end of regulation.
• LaMarcus Aldridge put up 20 points, 15 boards and 4 assists in the loss.
• Derrick White is the most important player on the Spurs not listed above, and he went 0-10 from the floor in the loss. He did have 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, but his streaky shooting is a bit of a concern.
• The Cavs 5-5 in their last ten. They’re even tanking wrong.
• Kevin Love is averaging 16 points and 11 boards in his last ten, but shooting just 36% from the floor.
• Rookie Collin Sexton is averaging 25 points per game in his last ten with shooting splits of 55/51/90, so that’s pretty insane.
• Jordan Clarkson is good for 17 a game this year, and he grew up in San Antonio.

Dallas Mavericks (29-45) at Miami Heat (36-38)

Line: Heat -7, O/U: 210

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

Mavericks: 109 ppg, average defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Heat were rolling, but they’ve lost two of their last three and fell out of the eighth seed with a 104-99 loss to the Magic.
• Dwyane Wade put on a show with 22, 7 and 7 off the bench, and Dion Waiters scored a team-high 26.
• Hassan Whiteside has been relegated to a bench role, averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds in 17 minutes in his last ten.
• Kelly Olynyk and Goran Dragic combined to shoot 2-13 from the floor and 0-7 from deep in the close loss.
• Winning has not been a priority for the Mavs in the last month or more, and it shows.
• Luka Doncic keeps playing. He was listed as questionable for the last game against the Kings, but he played 36 minutes and put up 28 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. He was 0-9 from three in a 125-121 loss.

Los Angeles Clippers (45-30) at Milwaukee Bucks (56-19)

Line: Bucks -9, O/U: 234

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

Clippers: 114 ppg, below average defense, fast pace

Notes:

• The league-best Bucks have won four of their last five, ripping Houston apart 108-94 in a battle of MVP frontrunners that Giannis Antetokounmpo won. He put up 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists in the win.
• Eric Bledsoe led the team with 23 points and 7 assists, and his unorthodox defense on James Harden helped hold him to just 23 points on 9-26 shooting, 1-9 from three.
• Khris Middleton shot just 6-23 in that game, 1-8 from deep.
• Pau Gasol made his Bucks debut, and he missed both of his shots in five minutes.
• The Clippers have won six and a row and nine of their last ten, clinching a playoff spot despite the odds stacked against them. They’re one of the best underdog stories in sports right now.
• Danilo Gallinari led the way with 25 points and 10 boards in the 122-111 win over Minnesota that sealed it. He popped the champagne after Doc Rivers gave a speech about how everybody counted them out.
• Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell combined for 38 off the bench, which is normal for them. They make the Clippers’ reserve unit one of the best in the NBA.

Orlando Magic (37-38) at Detroit Pistons (37-37)

Line: Pistons -3.5, O/U: 207

Pistons: 107 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Magic: 106 ppg, average defense, slow pace

Notes:

• The loser for this game will become the sub-.500 eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Miami and Charlotte are both within striking distance. The Magic have won six in a row, and the Pistons are getting back from a 1-4 road trip.
• Blake Griffin put up 29 points, 15 boards and 5 assists in a 95-92 loss in Denver. The team shot just 35% from the floor and 26% from deep, and not a single guy made more than half of his shots.
• Andre Drummond is good for 15 points and 16 boards in his last ten games, but he’s shooting just 47%.
• Magic are coming off an impressive set of back-to-back wins, first blowing out Philly 119-98 and then beating a hungry Miami team the next night 104-99.
• Nikola Vucevic put up 28 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists in the first game, then 24, 16 and 5 the next night. He’s been the man this year for Orlando.
• Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, and DJ Augustin step up on a rotating basis for this team.

Sacramento Kings (37-37) at New Orleans Pelicans (31-45)

Line: Kings -4.5, O/U: 237

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

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

Notes:

• The Pelicans have been done for a while, and the Kings are still alive but only technically.
• Anthony Davis is probable tonight. He’ll only play 20 minutes and still put up something like 17 points, 9 boards, and 2 blocks.
• Jrue Holiday has been out with an ab strain, and he might just get shut down.
• Elfrid Payton is stepping up, averaging 12 points, 9 assists and 8 boards per game in his last ten. Julius Randle has averaged 23 points, 7 boards and 4 assists in that stretch.
• The Kings would have to win every game and the Spurs would have to completely implode for Sacramento to make the playoffs, but you have to give them credit for trying.
• De’Aaron Fox led the way with 23 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in a 125-121 win over the Mavs.
• Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes combined for 35 points and 8 rebounds, Marvin Bagley III and Willie Cauley-Stein combined for 30 and 9.

Toronto Raptors (52-23) at New York Knicks (14-60)

Line: Raptors -11, O/U: 219

Knicks: 106 ppg, second-worst defense in the NBA, average pace

Raptors: 114 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Knicks haven’t fielded a competitive team all year. They’re trash on purpose, and Dennis Smith Jr. remains out with a back injury.
• Emmanuel Mudiay is starting at the point, coming off 26 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds in a 124-113 loss to the Clippers on Sunday.
• DeAndre Jordan hadn’t played too much in previous games, but he had 20 points and 13 rebounds in 34 minutes against his former team. That might have just been a special occasion, and he’ll probably play less moving forward.
• Toronto had won nine of ten, but they could tie their season-long losing streak at three games tonight.
• Kawhi Leonard is managing his load tonight, which makes perfect sense against these Knicks.
• Pascal Siakam has played stellar basketball for these Raptors, especially when Kawhi rests. He’s averaging nearly 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists a block and a steal in his last ten.
• Kyle Lowry shouldered the scoring load and poured in 35 points with 7 rebounds and 5 assists,
• Marc Gasol seems to be the starting center moving forward. He scored just 2 points in 20 minutes but was a team-high +16 in a 112-103 win over the Bulls. Serge Ibaka has been efficient coming off the bench. he added 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Marquee Matchup

Denver Nuggets (50-23) at Houston Rockets (47-28)

Line: Rockets -5.5, O/U: 216

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

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

Notes:

• Houston just got handled in Milwaukee 108-94. Eric Bledsoe and the Bucks forced James Harden to drive right, and he managed just 23 points and shot 1-9 from three.
• Chris Paul added 19 points and 9 rebounds in the loss, but PJ Tucker and Eric Gordon combined to shoot 1-16 from the floor.
• Clint Capela kicked in 17 and 11, right around what he’s averaging this year.
• The Nuggets have won eight of their last ten. They’re pretty legit.
• Jamal Murray got his time to shine with 33 points and 5 assists in a 95-92 win over the Pistons. He shot 3-7 from deep while the rest of the team shot 4-20.
• Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Paul Millsap shot just 2-10 from the floor but finished with 10 points, 13 boards, and 5 assists.
• Will Barton and Gary Harris combined to shoot 5-18 in that one. Usually they’re both scoring in double figures.