NBA Matchups, Lineups and Injury News 3/9/19

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), George Hill (groin), and Donte DiVincenzo (heel) are out.

Celtics: Kyrie Irving (thigh) is expected to play.

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

Hornets: Bismack Biyombo (knee) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are day-to-day.

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

Knicks: Mario Hezonja (knee) is questionable.

Lakers: Kyle Kuzma (ankle), Brandon Ingram (shoulder), and Lance Stephenson (toe) are questionable. Lonzo Ball (ankle) may not return this season.

Nets: Treveon Graham (back) and Shabazz Napier (personal) are out.

Suns: TJ Warren (ankle) is out.

Timberwolves: Robert Covington (ankle) is out. Luol Deng (Achilles) is doubtful.

Trail Blazers: Evan Turner (knee) is questionable.

Wizards: None

Today’s NBA Matchups

Contents

Boston Celtics (40-26) at Los Angeles Lakers (30-35)

Line: Celtics -6, O/U: 223

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

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

• The Lakers have lost their last four, and they’re all but guaranteed to miss the playoffs.
• LeBron keeps putting up big numbers in losses, coming off 30-7-7 in a 115-99 loss to Denver. His minutes will probably be reduced or eliminated entirely as the season keeps getting less meaningful.
• On a related note, Lonzo Ball may miss the rest of the season, and Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram are both questionable today.
• The Celtics look like a cohesive unit all of a sudden, winners of three of the last four including a back-to-back set in Golden State and Sacramento.
• Al Horford led the way with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, and Jayson Tatum added 24.
• Kyrie Irving didn’t play in the Kings win, but Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart combined for 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 steals. Kyrie should be back for this one.
• Gordon Hayward scored 30 off the bench in Oracle, and he’s a key for this team moving forward. If he plays anywhere close to his potential, Boston is a completely different animal.

Brooklyn Nets (34-33) at Atlanta Hawks (22-44)

Line: Nets -4, O/U: 238

Hawks: 112 ppg, bottom ten defense, fastest pace in the NBA

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

Notes:

• The Hawks are a step up from the tankers in the east, actually looking average since mid-December.
• Trae Young came into the game against the Spurs averaging 31 points and 9 assists in his last five games, shooting 49% from the floor and 50% from three, but Derrick White limited him to just 11 points on 8-24 shooting.
• John Collins is leading the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds per game this year.
• The Nets have won two in a row over Dallas and Cleveland.
• Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 28 points, and he’ll be a key piece moving forward.
• D’Angelo Russell is averaging 24 points and 8.5 assists per game in his last ten.

Charlotte Hornets (30-35) at Milwaukee Bucks (49-16)

Line: Bucks -12, O/U: 227

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

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

Notes:

• The league-leading Bucks had won seven in a row before dropping two-straight road games to the Jazz and Suns, but they bounced back with a 117-98 win over Indiana.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists, and that’s basically his average on the year.
• Fellow All-Star Khris Middleton shot just 1-13 against the Suns but came back for 27 in the Pacers win.
• Pau Gasol is now a Buck, but don’t expect him to play all that much. He couldn’t crack the rotation in San Antonio.
• The Hornets had lost nine of their last twelve, but they eked out a win that they absolutely needed 112-111 over the Wizards.
• Kemba Walker is and always has been a volume scorer, and he’s shooting 28% in the last three games.
• Marvin Williams scored a season-high 30 points in that win and added 7 boards. He’s averaging 11 and 6 this year.

New York Knicks (13-52) at Sacramento Kings (32-32) 

Line: Kings -6, O/U: 225

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

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

Notes:

• Both of these teams are 1-4 in their last five, and Sacramento’s only win was 115-108 over these Knicks.
• The Knicks have lost four in a row, most recently an embarrassing 107-96 affair in Phoenix.
• Dennis Smith Jr. is averaging 13 points and 6 assists in his last ten.
• DeAndre Jordan missed a few games with an ankle but had 17 points and 14 rebounds in the Suns loss.
• The Kings have struggled recently as they push for the playoffs, and they lost 111-109 to a Celtics team that was playing on the second night of a back to back.
• Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes combined for 47 points and 16 rebounds, and Barnes is starting to really carve out a solid role in Sacramento.
• De’Aaron Fox is averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 assists per game in his last ten.
• Rookie Marvin Bagley III remains out with a knee sprain, but he could still come back this season.

Phoenix Suns (15-51) at Portland Trail Blazers (39-26)

Line: -12.5, O/U: 228

Trail Blazers: 114 ppg, average defense, below average pace

Suns: 106 ppg, bottom five defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Blazers have lost three of five, coming off a 129-120 OT loss to the Thunder.
• Damian Lillard put up 51 points and 9 assists, CJ McCollum added 27 and Jusuf Nurkic posted 13 points and 17 boards, but the rest of the team shot just 9-34 from the floor.
• The Suns have won four of their last five, which is truly baffling. They became the worst team ever to beat LeBron, completed a season sweep over the league-leading Bucks, and blew the Knicks out for a three-game winning streak.
• Devin Booker went nuts for 41 in that Knicks win. He’s averaging 25 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds this year.
• Deandre Ayton is quietly putting together a solid rookie season, averaging 16.5 points and 10 boards per game.

Washington Wizards (27-38) at Minnesota Timberwolves (30-35)

Line: Timberwolves -7, O/U: 243

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

Wizards: 114 ppg, bad defense, faster than average pace

Notes:

• Minnesota’s season is essentially over, and it shows in their defensive effort. They’ve given up an average of 128 per game in the last five.
• Karl-Anthony Towns was limited to 24 points, 4 rebounds and 6 turnovers in a 131-114 loss to Detroit that he fouled out of. He has averaged 34 points and 13 rebounds in his last five.
• The Wizards are one of those teams that keeps winning, though it’s not clear how or why. They’re coming off a 112-111 loss in Charlotte.
• Bradley Beal managed just 15 points on 4-21 shooting in that game. He’s averaging 30 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds per game in the last ten.
• Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker look pretty solid since coming over from Chicago. They’re respectively averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds and 14 points and 6.5 boards in their last ten.