NBA Projected Starting Lineups, Matchups, Injury News – 1/29/19

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Injury News

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Bucks: Malcom Brogdon (sternal contusion) is probable. Donte DiVincenzo (heel) is out.

Bulls: Chandler Hutchison (toe) is out.

Cavaliers: Tristan Thompson (foot) and David Nwaba (ankle) are out.

Lakers: Josh Hart (knee) is day-to-day. Kyle Kuzma (hip) is questionable. Lonzo Ball (ankle) is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. LeBron James (groin) remains out.

Magic: Isaiah Briscoe (ankle) is questionable.

Nets: Joe Harris (hip) is questionable. Spencer Dinwiddie (thumb), Jared Dudley (hamstring), and Allen Crabbe (knee) are out.

Pelicans: Anthony Davis (finger) and Nikola Mirotic (calf) are out. Julius Randle (ankle) is questionable.

Pistons: Andre Drummond (concussion) is good to go. Ish Smith (groin) is out. Reggie Bullock (ankle) is doubtful.

Rockets: Chris Paul (hamstring) and Brandon Knight (knee) are available. Clint Capela (thumb) remains out.

76ers: Jimmy Butler (wrist) and Wilson Chandler (hamstring) are expected to play.

Spurs: DeMar DeRozan (knee) is out. Rudy Gay (ankle) and Davis Bertans (personal) are good to go.

Suns: Deandre Ayton (ankle) is doubtful. Richaun Holmes (foot) is available. TJ Warren (ankle) and De’Anthony Melton (ankle) are out.

Thunder: Alex Abrines (personal) is out.

Wizards: Ian Mahinmi (thumb) is a game-time decision. Sam Dekker (back) is questionable.

Today’s NBA Matchups

Contents

Chicago Bulls (11-39) at Brooklyn Nets (27-24)

Line: Nets -7.5, O/U: 219

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

Bulls: 101 ppg, bottom ten defense, slower than average pace

Notes:

• The Nets had won six in a row and eight of their last ten but lost in Boston 112-104 yesterday.
• D’Angelo Russell is averaging 23 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds in January.
• Spencer Dinwiddie tore ligaments in his right thumb and will miss the next month or more after his successful surgery.
• The Bulls are 1-12 in January, coming off a 104-101 loss to the also-tanking Cavs.
• Zach LaVine on the year: 23 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

Milwaukee Bucks (35-13) at Detroit Pistons (21-27)

Line: Bucks -8, O/U: 217

Pistons: 106 ppg, above average defense, average pace

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

Notes:

• Milwaukee had won six in a row and eight of their last ten but dropped a tough game in Oklahoma City on Sunday, 118-112.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo is the All-Star captain from the Eastern Conference. He’s averaging 29 points and 14 rebounds per game in his last five.
• Eric Bledsoe, Malcom Brogdon, and Khris Middleton are each averaging 16+ ppg in January.
• Blake Griffin is averaging 31 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the last ten, and the Pistons are 4-6 in that stretch.
• Andre Drummond is back after clearing the concussion protocol, putting up 23 and 15 in a loss in Dallas on Sunday.
• Detroit is 13-11 at home, while the Bucks are 13-9 on the road.
• For a full preview, click here.

New Orleans Pelicans (22-28) at Houston Rockets (29-20)

Line: Rockets -10.5, O/U: 234

Rockets: 112 ppg, bottom five defense, bottom five pace

Pelicans: 117 ppg, bottom five defense, top five pace

Notes:

• Anthony Davis has told the team that he will not sign an extension in the offseason and requested a trade, preferring a destination where he can contend for a title. The Lakers have the best chance to land him before the deadline. Davis is currently out with a finger injury, and averages 29 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2 steals this season.
• Jahlil Okafor has played 30 minutes per game in Davis’ stead, averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in the last four games. He stepped up as the lone big man in San Antonio, putting up 24, 15 and 3.
• Julius Randle and Nikola Mirotic might both miss this one after missing the loss to the Spurs.
• Jrue Holiday has averaged 21 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals this year, and recently said that Davis was 90% of the reason he stayed in New Orleans.
• James Harden is averaging 46 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in his last ten, including performances of 57, 58, and 61. He put up 40 in a close win over Orlando and added 11 boards, 6 assists and 3 blocks.
• Chris Paul returned after missing more than a month with a hamstring injury, contributing 12 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in 25 minutes.
• Kenneth Faried was just acquired to fill in for Clint Capela, and he’s averaging 14 points, 9.5 rebounds, a block and a steal in 31 minutes per game.
• Eric Gordon is averaging 20 points per game since returning from injury, but he’s shooting just 41% from the floor.
• For a full preview, click here.

Oklahoma City Thunder (31-18) at Orlando Magic (20-30)

Line: Thunder -5.5, O/U: 222

Magic: 104 ppg, average defense, slow pace

Thunder: 113 ppg, second-best defense in the NBA, top five pace

Notes:

• Orlando has lost five of their last six and is now ten games under .500, but don’t count them out of the playoffs just yet in the East.
• Their most recent loss came at the hands of James Harden and the Rockets, who only managed to score 103.
• Over the last ten games, Nikola Vucevic is averaging 22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 1 steal.
• The Thunder had lost five of seven, but have bounced back with five straight wins.
• Paul George is averaging 31 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals in his last five games, shooting 48% from the floor and 54% from three. He put up 36 points and 13 rebounds in a 118-112 win over Milwaukee on Sunday.
• Russell Westbrook had another triple-double that game but managed just 13 points on 5-20 shooting.
• Oklahoma City started the year with the top defense in the NBA, but they’re giving up over 120 points per game in January which is worst in the league.
• For a full preview, click here.

Phoenix Suns (11-41) at San Antonio Spurs (29-22)

Line: Spurs -13, O/U: 226

Spurs: 112 ppg, average defense, very slow pace

Suns: 106 ppg, bottom five defense, average pace

Notes:

• The Spurs have come back down to earth but won both legs of a weekend back to back against New Orleans and Washington. They’re 19-7 at home this year.
• LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 25 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in his last five.
• DeMar DeRozan has missed three games out of the last five, but San Antonio won all three. He’s out again tonight.
• Derrick White is blossoming, averaging 14 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds this month while guarding the best opposing wing player.
• Rudy Gay, Bryn Forbes, Patty Mills, and Marco Belinelli, are all averaging 10+ points in January.
• The Suns are 2-15 in the last month, including eight straight losses.
• They lost Sunday in Los Angeles by a score of 116-102 to a Lakers squad led by Ivica Zubac and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
• Phoenix has been without Deandre Ayton and Richaun Holmes, dealing with ankle and foot sprains respectively. Holmes is back, but Ayton is doubtful.

Washington Wizards (21-28) at Cleveland Cavaliers (10-41)

Line: Wizards -8, O/U: 219

Cavaliers: 102 ppg, worst defense in the NBA, bottom five pace

Wizards: 113 ppg, bad defense, faster than average pace

Notes:

• Cleveland had lost six straight and gone 1-18 going back over a month but managed to beat a just-as-bad Chicago team 104-101 behind 18 points and 8 boards from Alec Burks.
• Tristan Thompson is far and away their best player, and he’s expected to be out for the next two weeks or so. Ante Zizic is averaging 13 points and 8 rebounds per game in his last ten.
• Cedi Osman is averaging 19 per game over his last five.
• The Wizards are 8-6 since losing John Wall for the season a month ago, and they’ve played top-ten defense in that stretch.
• They just lost in San Antonio with DeMar DeRozan out.
• Tomas Satoransky has filled in starting every game in January, averaging 12 points, 5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
• Bradley Beal is averaging 28 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game in January.
• Trevor Ariza and Otto Porter are both averaging 15 points and 6 rebounds this month.
• Washington is just 6-19 on the road this year.

Marquee Matchup

Philadelphia 76ers (32-18) at Los Angeles Lakers (26-24)

Line: 76ers -7, O/U: 231

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

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

Notes:

• Los Angeles appears to be in prime position to land Anthony Davis and should be willing to trade most of their young core to do that before the upcoming deadline.
• This hobbled Lakers team had lost three in a row but bounced back with a win over Phoenix behind Ivica Zubac (24 points, 15 rebounds) and Kentavious Caldwell Pope (24 points)
•  Kyle Kuzma has 21 points and 6 rebounds per game in January, but he’s questionable for this one with a hip injury kept him out of the last game.
• Lonzo Ball suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain earlier in the week, and he’s expected to miss at least four weeks. He had averaged 11 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in January.
• Rajon Rondo‘s passing is intact, averaging 12 assists in his two games back from a broken hand.
• The Lakers are 6-10 since LeBron’s groin injury. He’s out for this one but could be back soon. This is the longest stretch he has missed due to injury in his entire career.
• Brandon Ingram is averaging 20 points per game over his last four.
• The Sixers are just 11-13 on the road, coming off a 126-110 L in Denver.
• Joel Embiid has been dealing with back tightness over the last week or so, and he’s rested against the Nuggets after averaging 30 points, 13 boards and 4 assists in his last five. He should be good to go for this one.
• Jimmy Butler is back after missing three in a row with a wrist injury. He’s averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game this year.
• Ben Simmons is averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists per game in his last ten