NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 4/28

Apr 28th 2024

Cooper Boni

Each day, this column will provide live updates for all NBA news. Enjoy up-to-the-minute alerts for injuries and lineup confirmations. The Key News to Watch section will highlight notable injuries to monitor for the current NBA slate.

Key NBA News to Watch

  • Luka Doncic (knee) — In

  • Joel Embiid (injury recovery) — Available

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) — Out

  • Kawhi Leonard (knee) — Out

  • Tyrese Haliburton (back) — Active

  • Damian Lillard (Achilles) — Out

  • Khris Middleton (ankle) — Available

  • Grayson Allen (ankle) — Out

  • Mitchell Robinson (ankle) — Out

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein

  • Mitchell Robinson (ankle) — Out

  • Julius Randle (shoulder) — Out for season

Philadelphia 76ers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Maxey, Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre, Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid

  • Joel Embiid (injury recovery) — Available

  • Robert Covington (knee) — Injured

Despite his lingering knee issue, Embiid played in Game 3 and had a huge night, posting 50 points and eight rebounds in 41 minutes. He invited contact for most of the contest as he went 19-21 from the free-throw line. It seems unlikely that Embiid would miss a game of this stature as the Sixers are down 2-1 in the series, but his final status has not been determined. If he were sidelined, Paul Reed and Mo Bamba would be asked to handle most of the teams' center minutes against the Knicks, and Maxey would likely garner increased usage. Maxey saw a +3.9% usage rate differential sans Embiid during the regular season.

Los Angeles Clippers News

Confirmed Lineup: James Harden, Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, Paul George, Ivica Zubac

  • Kawhi Leonard (knee) — Injured

While Leonard played in the previous outing, he mentioned the next day that his knee injury didn't respond how he hoped it would. He participated in a non-contact practice on Saturday but his final status for Game 4 remains unclear. Before that practice, coach Lue commented on the ailment, noting that Leonard is trying to manage the injury and that the team would be smart about it. "He's just still dealing with the inflammation and the swelling," coach Lue said. "I think just doing what's right by him. Talking to the medical staff. Talking to him, seeing how he's feeling, and just going from there."

Dallas Mavericks News

Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford

  • Luka Doncic (knee) — In

  • Tim Hardaway Jr. (ankle) — Out

  • Olivier-Maxence Prosper (ankle) — Out

After aggravating his knee in Game 3, Doncic had to go to the locker room. He did return and finish that contest but mentioned that his knee was "pretty stiff" afterward. When asked about Doncic on Saturday, coach Kidd said he looked good but wouldn't declare if he'd be available for Game 4. "He looked good in film and good shooting free throws. So, I'm going to stay in my lane and let the people who put that out, do that," Kidd said. If Doncic is ruled out, Irving will likely see extremely increased usage, particularly with Hardaway Jr. already expected to be sidelined.

Milwaukee Bucks News

Confirmed Lineup: Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) — Out

  • Damian Lillard (Achilles) — Out

  • Khris Middleton (ankle) — Available

  • Chris Livingston (illness) — Out

Lillard has been diagnosed with a strained Achilles, and coach Rivers kept it simple when commenting on the injury. "It's not looking great," said Rivers. Lillard isn't expected to suit up for Game 4 but will go through a hard workout before the game. There's a high likelihood that both Antetokounmpo and Lillard are sidelined for this contest which would put the Bucks in a tough spot versus the Pacers. Indiana won Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead, and their chances of advancing will remain heightened as long as Antetokounmpo remains sidelined.

Indiana Pacers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner

  • Tyrese Haliburton (back) — Active

  • Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) — Out for season

Minnesota Timberwolves News

Confirmed Lineup: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert

  • Kyle Anderson (hip) — Available

Phoenix Suns News

Confirmed Lineup: Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Royce O'Neale, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkic

  • Grayson Allen (ankle) — Out

  • Damion Lee (knee) — Injured