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
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) — Out
Joel Embiid (calf) — Out
James Harden (Achilles) — Out
Damian Lillard (calf) — Out
Tyrese Haliburton (injury management) — Out
Kawhi Leonard (facial contusion) — In
Lauri Markkanen (hand) — Available
Karl-Anthony Towns (injury management) — Out
Anthony Edwards (ankle) — Available
De'Aaron Fox (hamstring) — Available
Jalen Brunson (hand) — Out
Anfernee Simons (foot) — Out
Deandre Ayton (hip) — Available
Jrue Holiday (personal) — Out
Jerami Grant (quad) — Out
Myles Turner (injury management) — Out
Jusuf Nurkic (knee) — Out
Michael Porter Jr. (injury management) — Available
Recent NBA News
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Confirmed Lineup: Jevon Carter, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) — Out
Jrue Holiday (personal) — Out
Jae Crowder (calf) — Probable
Meyers Leonard (calf) — Out
Goran Dragic (knee) — Probable
Middleton (34.3%), Portis (25.9%), and Lopez (24.1%) have led the team in usage, while Middleton (44.2%), Joe Ingles (27.5%), and Carter (25.1%) have logged the highest assist rates among active Bucks with Antetokounmpo and Holiday off the floor this season.
Confirmed Lineup: Killian Hayes, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Livers, Marvin Bagley, James Wiseman
Cory Joseph (illness) — Available
Alec Burks (foot) — Out
Rodney McGruder (foot) — Out
Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) — Injured
Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) — Injured
Hamidou Diallo (ankle) — Injured
Cade Cunningham (shin) — Injured
Eugene Omoruyi served as a sixth man with Joseph and McGruder sidelined for Friday's blowout loss, contributing nine points on three-for-10 shooting and seven rebounds in 32.9 minutes. Additionally, Hayes (36.8%), Ivey (32.0%), and Duren (28.6%) posted elevated assist rates without Joseph serving as a secondary facilitator. Omoruyi would need McGruder and Joseph to remain out to again serve as a sixth man, but Hayes, Ivey, and Duren could retain heightened facilitating roles if only Joseph remains out.
Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell
Maxi Kleber (injury management) — Out
Confirmed Lineup: Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Jordan Nwora, Jalen Smith
Tyrese Haliburton (injury management) — Out
Myles Turner (injury management) — Out
Buddy Hield (illness) — Out
Chris Duarte (ankle) — Out
Isaiah Jackson will start, and Jalen Smith will also likely clear 20 minutes if Turner is sidelined. Jackson has logged 18.2% usage while averaging 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 26.9 minutes during his last six starts this season. Nembhard will resume playing a prominent lead facilitating role, and TJ McConnell will serve as the sixth man if Haliburton is ruled out.
Confirmed Lineup: Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, KJ Martin, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
Jae'Sean Tate (knee) — Out
The Rockets are 0-6 when playing the second game of a back-to-back set on the road this season, scoring the fewest points per 100 possessions (106.2) and allowing the third-most (128.4). Additionally, Houston posted the worst point differential (-22.2) and the fourth-worst spread differential (-6.7) during those matches.
Confirmed Lineup: Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson
Jalen Brunson (hand) — Out
Derrick Rose (illness) — Out
Trevor Keels (foot) — Available
Duane Washington Jr. (hip) — Out
Grimes, Randle, and Immanuel Quickley should be asked to generate less offense if Brunson, who fully practiced Sunday, rejoins the lineup. However, though Brunson's shooting could be largely unaffected by a sprained non-shooting hand, Randle, Quickley, and Josh Hart could retain elevated distributing roles if Brunson's ball handling and passing are negatively affected by his hand injury.
Confirmed Lineup: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Josh Okogie, Torrey Craig, Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton (hip) — Available
Kevin Durant (ankle) — Injured
Though Paul and Booker could be less central to the offensive effort, Terrence Ross and TJ Warren's roles will primarily diminish as secondary scoring will be less needed in Ayton's expected return. Okogie and Craig could reclaim minutes from Ross and Warren if their contributions are less valued.
Confirmed Lineup: Talen Horton-Tucker, Ochai Agbaji, Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk, Walker Kessler
Lauri Markkanen (hand) — Available
Simone Fontecchio (toe) — Out
Jordan Clarkson (finger) — Out
Rudy Gay (back) — Out
Collin Sexton (hamstring) — Injured
Agbaji (+5.7%), Olynyk (+5.6%), and Kessler (+5.0%) have posted the highest usage differentials on the Jazz, while Olynyk has led the team with a +15.4% assist rate differential in the three games Markkanen and Clarkson have missed since the All-Star break. That dynamic could persist, or Simone Fontecchio could be demoted to the bench as offensive opportunities decline across the lineup if Markkanen returns.
Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Maxey, De'Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, Dewayne Dedmon
Joel Embiid (calf) — Out
James Harden (Achilles) — Out
Danuel House (shoulder) — In
Embiid recently said, "I'm going to need one [game off] pretty soon," but a matchup with the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic amid MVP discussions could be meaningful to him. He scored 47 points on 44.4% usage with Maxey sidelined in a 126-119 home win over Denver earlier in the season. The remaining starters' roles will remain heightened if Harden or Embiid are ruled out.
Confirmed Lineup: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Michael Porter Jr. (injury management) — Available
Jokic (+2.7%) and Gordon (+2.5%) have posted the highest usage differentials on the team in games Porter Jr. has missed this season. Additionally, though Jokic averaged 9.3 assists during his last three starts against the 76ers with Joel Embiid active, he was less impactful than usual. Jokic averaged 20.3 points, 13.7 field goal attempts, and 9.3 rebounds during those contests, including scoring 24 points on eight-for-12 shooting earlier in the season.
Confirmed Lineup: CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, Jonas Valanciunas
Jose Alvarado (leg) — Injured
Zion Williamson (hamstring) — Injured
Confirmed Lineup: Ryan Arcidiacono, Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Nassir Little, Drew Eubanks
Damian Lillard (calf) — Out
Anfernee Simons (foot) — Out
Jerami Grant (quad) — Out
Jusuf Nurkic (knee) — Out
Trendon Watford (ankle) — Out
Cam Reddish (back) — Available
Ibou Badji (knee) — Injured
Justise Winslow (ankle) — Injured
Portland appears likelier to keep their typical starters out than have them return. Nassir Little will be positioned to start if Watford joins them on the inactive list. Sharpe (28.1%), Little (25.7%), and Keon Johnson (24.1%) posted the highest usage rates on the Trail Blazers, while Johnson (34.4%) and Arcidiacono (31.4%) logged the highest assist rates on the team during the last two games.
Confirmed Lineup: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Rudy Gobert
Karl-Anthony Towns (injury management) — Out
Anthony Edwards (ankle) — Available
Taurean Prince (illness) — Out
Jaylen Nowell (knee) — Available
Matt Ryan (illness) — Out
Kyle Anderson will reclaim a starting role while Taurean Prince and Nickeil Alexander-Walker play extended minutes if Towns or Edwards sit out the second game of a back-to-back set to manage their injuries. Towns could be more likely to sit out after his time remained restricted Sunday and because of the nature of his injury.
Confirmed Lineup: De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
De'Aaron Fox (hamstring) — Available
If Fox returns, Huerter's role will diminish the sharpest among the starters after he finished with 27 points on 10-for-21 shooting and four assists in Fox's absence Saturday. Barnes and Murray also stand to be less involved in the offensive effort in that event.
Confirmed Lineup: Patrick Beverley, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic
Alex Caruso (foot) — Out
Javonte Green (knee) — Out
Lonzo Ball (knee) — Injured
Confirmed Lineup: Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Kawhi Leonard, Nicolas Batum, Ivica Zubac
Kawhi Leonard (facial contusion) — In
Marcus Morris (illness) — Out
Brandon Boston Jr. (tailbone) — Out
Paul George (knee) — Injured
Norman Powell (shoulder) — Injured
Gordon has been deferential as he's logged 18.1% usage through the first two games of George's absence, but his shooting will be crucial in this matchup. The Bulls allowed the fifth-fewest points per 100 possessions (111.5) and the fewest points in the paint per game (44.4) during their last 10 matches. During that stretch, Chicago's biggest defensive weakness was allowing opposing guards to make the most threes per game (9.3).