NBA Projected Starting Lineups, Matchups, Injury News – 1/17/19

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Injury News

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Bulls: Wendell Carter Jr. (thumb) is out.

Hornets: None

Kings: None

Knicks: Enes Kanter (personal safety) is out. Mitchell Robinson (groin) is available.

Lakers: LeBron James (groin) and Rajon Rondo (hand) remain out.

Nuggets: Gary Harris (hamstring) is questionable. Will Barton (personal) is day-to-day

Pacers: None

Raptors: Kyle Lowry (rest), Kawhi Leonard (rest), and OG Anunoby (personal) are out. CJ Miles (hip) is questionable.

76ers: Joel Embiid (back) and Wilson Chandler (illness) are questionable.

Suns: Jamal Crawford (knee) is questionable.

Thunder: Nerlens Noel (concussion) will return today. Alex Abrines (personal) is out.

Wizards: None

Today’s NBA Matchups

Contents

New York Knicks (10-33) at Washington Wizards (18-26)

Line: Wizards -8.5, O/U: 229

Knicks: 107 ppg, bottom five defense, faster than average pace

Wizards: 113.5 ppg, bottom five defense, fast pace

Notes:

• The Wizards have gone 5-4 since losing John Wall for the season, with Tomas Satoransky averaging 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in his last ten, filling in in the starting lineup for nine.
• Bradley Beal is putting up 29 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in his last ten, proving to be an able leader of this Wizards squad.
• The Knicks have lost nine of their last ten.
• Enes Kanter skipped this trip overseas amid safety concerns. His outspoken criticism of Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made him a wanted man in Turkey on bogus charges of terrorism.

Phoenix Suns (11-34) at Toronto Raptors (33-13)

Line: Raptors -8, O/U: 223

Suns: 106 ppg, bottom five defense, slower than average pace

Raptors: 114 ppg, top ten defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Raptors lost 117-108 in Boston last night, and Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard will be resting in this one. OG Anunoby is out as well, so Fred VanVleet will shoulder much of the ball-handling responsibilities.
• Toronto is 18-4 at home, while the Suns are just 4-17 on the road.
• Devin Booker scored just 8 points on 4-12 shooting after he returned from missing three games with back issues.
• The Suns are 2-8 in their last ten, but those wins came in the last week against Sacramento and Denver, and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 26 in both.

Sacramento Kings (22-21) at Charlotte Hornets (19-23)

Line: Kings +3, O/U: 229

Kings: 115 ppg, bottom-third defense, second-fastest pace

Hornets: 112 ppg, average pace, average defense

Notes:

• The Kings lost four of five, then won four of five.
• Buddy Hield is quietly averaging 20 points per game shooting 48% from the floor and 44% from deep.
• Charlotte went 2-4 on a tough west coast road trip, but capped it off with an emotional win in Tony Parker’s return to San Antonio.
• The Kings won this matchup in Sacramento on Saturday 104-97 despite 31 from Kemba Walker.

Chicago Bulls (10-34) at Denver Nuggets (29-14)

Line: Nuggets -14, O/U 213

Bulls: 101 ppg, below average defense, very slow pace

Nuggets: 110 ppg, top ten defense, bottom five pace

Notes:

• The Nuggets got blown out at home 142-111 by Golden State on Tuesday, giving up the top spot in the West.
• Nikola Jokic is averaging 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in his last five, and he should be well rested and motivated after scoring 17 in just 23 minutes in loss to Golden State.
• The Bulls have lost eight in a row, and they’re hurtling toward a high lottery pick.

Los Angeles Lakers (23-21) at Oklahoma City Thunder (26-16)

Line: Thunder -10.5, O/U: 227

Lakers: 113 ppg, top ten defense, top five pace.

Thunder: 113 ppg, best defense in the NBA, above average pace

Notes:

• The Lakers are 4-7 since LeBron’s groin injury. This is the longest stretch he has missed due to injury in his entire career.
• Lakers core in the last ten games: Lonzo Ball has 12 ppg, 6 rpg and 6 apg, Kyle Kuzma has 20 ppg and 7 rpg, and Brandon Ingram has 18 ppg, 7 rpg and 4 apg.
• The Thunder have lost four of their last five, and they just got handled by a Hawks team near the bottom of the barrel in a soft Eastern Conference.
• Paul George is averaging 27 points per game this year, and Russell Westbrook is averaging 24, 11 and 11 in his last ten games.

Marquee Matchup

Philadelphia 76ers (28-16) at Indiana Pacers (28-14)

Line: Pacers -4, O/U: 225

Pacers: 108 ppg, top five defense, bottom-five pace

76ers: 115 ppg, above average defense, faster than average pace

Notes:

• Joel Embiid is listed as questionable with back tightness, and he’s averaging 27 points and 13 boards per game this season. Wilson Chandler is also questionable, so expect to see some smaller, funkier lineups from the Sixers.
• Ben Simmons has had at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists in each of his last three games, averaging 19, 10 and 9 over his last ten games.
• In the last month the Pacers are 10-1 against teams with a losing record, but 0-3 against opponents above .500.
• Domontas Sabonis is averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists in his last ten games.