NBA Matchups, Lineups and Injury News 4/1/19

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: Tony Snell (ankle) Khris Middleton (groin) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle) are day-to-day.

Bulls: Zach LaVine (thigh), Kris Dunn (back), and Otto Porter (shoulder) are out.

Cavaliers: Ante Zizic (concussion), Tristan Thompson (foot), and Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) is out.

Celtics: Al Horford (knee) is probable.

Heat: Josh Richardson (heel) is without a timeline for return. Rodney McGruder (knee)and Justise Winslow (thigh) are out. Derrick Jones Jr. (personal) is questionable.

Hornets: Cody Zeller (knee) is out.

Jazz: Raul Neto (concussion) and Derrick Favors (back) are out. Dante Exum (knee) just had patella tendon surgery and is out.

Knicks: Allonzo Trier (calf) is out. Frank Ntilikina (groin) is done for the year.

Magic: None

Mavericks: Luka Doncic (thigh) is doubtful.

Nets: Allen Crabbe (knee) is out. Rodions Kuruks (knee) is doubtful.

Pacers: Darren Collison (groin) and Wesley Matthews (hamstring) are out.

Pistons: Blake Griffin (knee) is out.

Raptors: OG Anunoby (head) is questionable.

76ers: Joel Embiid (load management) and Jimmy Butler (back tightness) are out.

Suns: Deandre Ayton (ankle), TJ Warren (ankle) and Tyler Johnson (knee) are out.

Timberwolves: Luol Deng (Achilles) is out. Taj Gibson (calf) is doubtful.

Trail Blazers: CJ McCollum (knee) and Jusuf Nurkic (leg) are out.

Today’s NBA Matchups

Charlotte Hornets (35-41) at Utah Jazz (46-30)

Line: Jazz -11.5, O/U: 219

Jazz: 109 ppg, top five defense, average pace

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

Notes:

• The Jazz are making the most of a laughably easy schedule, 9-1 in their last ten.
• Donovan Mitchell had been slumping a bit but led the team with 35 points, 5 assists and 5 boards in a 128-124 win over Washington on Friday.
• Rudy Gobert put up an extremely Rudy Gobert stat line with 13 points, 17 boards and 3 blocks in that one.
• Joe Ingles put up 18 points and a team-high 10 assists while Ricky Rubio added 17.
• Derrick Favors and Dante Exum are both out tonight.
• The Hornets beat Boston, Toronto and San Antonio to keep their playoff hopes alive, only to lose to the Lakers and then last night to the Warriors by a score of 137-90.
• Kemba Walker had just 9 points on 4-14 shooting. He’ll be a free agent this summer.

Chicago Bulls (21-56) at New York Knicks (14-60)

Line: Knicks -3.5, O/U: 214

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

Bulls: 104 ppg, bottom ten defense, slower than average pace

Notes:

• Watching this game should be the punishment for losing a bet.
• Dennis Smith Jr. is coming off the bench as he returns from a back injury.
• Emmanuel Mudiay’s role is increasing, and he put up 24 points, 4 assists, and 5 boards in a loss to the Heat. He wanted D Wade’s jersey but was deemed unworthy in what can only be described as peak Knicks.
• DeAndre Jordan has accepted a bench role for the remainder of the season so that the team can get a better look at Mitchell Robinson, who had 9 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 blocks in the start.
• Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Otto Porter are all probably done for the year, keeping them healthy, increasing the odds of losing and giving Bulls’ management an opportunity to assess other players.
• One of those other guys is Chicago native Walt Lemon Jr., who put up 19 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds in his debut with the team in a 124-101 loss to the Raptors.

Cleveland Cavaliers (19-58) at Phoenix Suns (17-60)

Line: Suns -2, O/U: 225

Suns: 106 ppg, bottom five defense, average pace

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

Notes:

• It should be illegal for this game to be on national television.
• Devin Booker is coming off of consecutive games of 59, 50 and 48. The Suns lost all three games.
• Deandre Ayton twisted his ankle in a 120-115 loss to Memphis and is out tonight along with several others.
• The Cavs have lost five in a row, most recently 132-108 to the Clippers.
• Kevin Love missed that one, averaging 15 and 11 in the last ten.
• Rookie Collin Sexton is coming into his own, averaging 24 points per game in his last ten with shooting splits of 52/46/88.
• Jordan Clarkson is good for 17 a game this year, though his 3-point shooting has dropped to 15% in the last ten.

Detroit Pistons (39-37) at Indiana Pacers (45-32)

Line: Pacers -5.5, O/U: 204

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

Pistons: 107 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Pacers have lost seven of their last eight games, most recently 121-116 to Orlando.
• Darren Collison led the team with 24 points and 9 assists in that one, and both he and Wesley Matthews are out tonight. That leaves Cory Joseph and Tyreke Evans as the healthy guards.
• Bojan Bogdanovic is good for 22 a night with shooting splits of 53/45/80.
• The Pistons are just a game up from the eighth seed in the East, coming off big wins over Orlando and Portland.
• Blake Griffin missed the 99-90 win over the Blazers, and he’s out again tonight with a sore knee.
• Andre Drummond stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 19 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks.
• Reggie Jackson led the team in scoring with 28 and added 5 assists and 5 rebounds.

Miami Heat (38-38) at Boston Celtics (45-32)

Line: Celtics -7, O/U: 213

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

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

Notes:

• The Celtics are in real danger of losing home court in the first round, coming off a 110-96 loss in Brooklyn in which Kyrie Irving rested. He’ll play tonight.
• Gordon Hayward led Boston with 19 points, and Marcus Morris and Daniel Theis each had 16.
• Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart each were held under 10 points, and Terry Rozier managed just 2.
• The Heat are clinging to the last playoff spot in the East by a half game, but winning enough to earn it down the stretch.
• Dwyane Wade scored 16 in his last trip to MSG, and hilariously declined Emmanual Mudiay’s invitation to swap jerseys.
• Dion Waiters scored a team-high 28. He’s only played 38 games this year, but he’s averaging 16, 3 and 3 in his last ten.
• Goran Dragic is starting again, coming off 10 points and 10 assists in the win.
• Hassan Whiteside has been hit or miss off the bench, averaging 10 points and 8 rebounds in his last ten.

Milwaukee Bucks (57-20) at Brooklyn Nets (39-38)

Line: Bucks -1.5, O/U: 229

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

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

Notes:

• The Nets undid the Kyrie-less Celtics 110-96 as they fight to secure one of the last available playoff spots.
• D’Angelo Russell put up 29 points and 10 assists in the win, making his case for most improved player every day.
• Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert are key pieces coming off the bench for Brooklyn, and they shot just 1-10 combined from deep in the win. They’ve both struggled to shoot consistently since returning from injuries earlier in the season.
• Allen Crabbe is out with a lingering knee issue, and there’s no timetable for his return.
• The Bucks have the top seed all but locked up, and they won’t be winning a championship in the next five games, so health is the priority. Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all rested in a 136-135 OT loss to Atlanta.
• Sterling Brown led the team with 27 points and 9 rebounds, and Tim Frazier added 20 points and 15 dimes in 53 minutes.

Philadelphia 76ers (49-27) at Dallas Mavericks (30-46) 

Line: 76ers -6, O/U: 219

Mavericks: 109 ppg, average defense, average pace

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

Notes:

• The Mavs have been on a tear losing games, so of course, they won just their eighth road game of the year in OKC last night without their best player.
• Luka Doncic is doubtful tonight after missing that game with a bruised thigh. He’s competitive, but there’s really no point in him playing more this year other than to bolster his Rookie of the Year case.
• Trey Burke led the team with 25 points and 8 assists off the bench.
• The NYPD is investigating Kristaps Porzingis for a rape that allegedly happened the night he tore his ACL in February of last year. He denies the allegation, and the league and the Mavericks knew about it before he was traded by the Knicks.
• Tobias Harris led the team with 25 points, 7 boards and 4 assists in a 118-109 win over Minnesota.
• All-Star point guard Ben Simmons had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 9 dimes in the win, and he even attempted a three (though he missed).
• The Sixers have lost back to back games, first a close one to the Hawks and then a blowout against the Magic.
• Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler are both out tonight, prioritizing health as the postseason approaches.
• Jonah Bolden filled in for Embiid against the Timberwolves and had 19 points, 8 boards, and 3 blocks. Also, 7’3″ Boban is hitting threes now.

Portland Trail Blazers (48-28) at Minnesota Timberwolves (34-42)

Line: Blazers -4, O/U: 226

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

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

Notes:

• Minnesota has been done for a long time, but they’re still competing (sometimes).
• Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 29 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists per game since the All-Star break, though he hasn’t topped 50% shooting in his last three games.
• Andrew Wiggins has scored 20+ points in six straight, the longest such streak of his season.
• The Blazers fell to the Blake Griffin-less Pistons 99-90 in a game that might have shown key injuries catching up with them.
• Damian Lillard set team highs with 23 points (8-25 shooting) and 3 assists, an off night for him.
• Veteran Enes Kanter is stepping up and filling in for Jusuf Nurkic. Kanter put up 20 points and 15 boards in the loss to the Pistons.
• CJ McCollum is not with the team on the rest of this four-game road trip, meaning the earliest he could be back is Wednesday.

Marquee Matchup

Orlando Magic (38-39) at Toronto Raptors (54-23)

Line: Raptors -7, O/U: 216

Raptors: 114 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Magic: 106 ppg, average defense, slow pace

Notes:

• The Raptors are all but locked into the 2 seed, but the Magic are fighting for their playoff lives every time they take the court.
• Kawhi Leonard didn’t play in consecutive wins over the Knicks and Bulls. Pascal Siakam rested as well, but neither is listed on the injury report tonight.
• Kyle Lowry shot just 2-10 in the 124-101 win over Chicago.
• Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka both started that game and combined for 40 points, 20 boards, and 8 assists.
• Magic have won seven of their last eight and find themselves just a half game back from the eighth seed.
• Aaron Gordon led a 121-116 win in Indiana with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists.
• Evan Fournier and DJ Augustin combined for 20 points and 16 assists in the win.
• Nikola Vucevic is averaging 21.5 points and 12 rebounds per game in his last ten despite shooting just 19% from deep.