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
Kawhi Leonard (personal) — Out
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) — Available
Joel Embiid (calf) — In
LeBron James (foot) — In
Anthony Davis (foot) — In
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) — Out
James Harden (Achilles) — In
Ja Morant (thigh) — Not on injury report
Anthony Edwards (ankle, illness) — Available
Lauri Markkanen (hand) — Out
Jimmy Butler (neck) — Available
Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) — Available
Jalen Brunson (hand) — Available
Khris Middleton (injury management) — Out
Desmond Bane (foot) — Out
Jaren Jackson Jr. (calf) — Out
D'Angelo Russell (hip) — In
Myles Turner (ankle) — Out
Kelly Olynyk (illness) — Out
Recent NBA News
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Confirmed Lineup: Jrue Holiday, Jevon Carter, Grayson Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) — Available
Jrue Holiday (personal) — Not on injury report
Khris Middleton (injury management) — Out
Joe Ingles (injury management) — Available
Jae Crowder (injury management) — Out
Meyers Leonard (calf) — Out
Goran Dragic (knee) — Available
Middleton appears set to sit out one game of Milwaukee's upcoming back-to-back set, and he could be likelier to sit out this match than Thursday's game against Boston. Compared to the rest of their post-All-Star break production, Joe Ingles (+3.7%), Pat Connaughton (+2.5%), and Jevon Carter (+1.9%) have posted the highest usage differentials on the Bucks, while Antetokounmpo (+7.3%) and Ingles (+5.6%) have logged the highest assist rate differentials on the team in the four games Middleton has missed.
Confirmed Lineup: Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Jordan Nwora, Isaiah Jackson
Tyrese Haliburton (ankle, elbow) — Out
Myles Turner (ankle) — Out
Buddy Hield (illness) — Out
Chris Duarte (ankle) — Out
Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith will likely continue to split center minutes nearly evenly if Turner remains out. In the 103 minutes they've played together with Haliburton and Turner off the court this season, Mathurin (24.5%), Nembhard (23.5%), and Hield (23.2%) have led the Pacers in usage, while Nembhard (+15.2%) has been the only one of the trio to record a positive assist rate differential.
Confirmed Lineup: Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, KJ Martin, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
Jae'Sean Tate (knee) — Out
TyTy Washington (G League) — Out
Confirmed Lineup: Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton
Royce O'Neale (knee) — Not on injury report
Seth Curry (personal) — Not on injury report
Edmond Sumner (hip) — Available
Ben Simmons (back) — Injured
Confirmed Lineup: Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, Bam Adebayo
Jimmy Butler (neck) — Available
Kyle Lowry (knee) — Out
Gabe Vincent (back) — Available
Nikola Jovic (back) — Out
Butler should be considered likely to play after missing the first game of a back-to-back set due to a sore neck. He excelled in the first two matchups with the Knicks this month, averaging 34.0 points while leading the team with 32.1% usage and 28.6% assist rates.
Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson
Jalen Brunson (hand) — Available
Derrick Rose (illness) — Out
Duane Washington Jr. (hip) — Out
DaQuan Jeffries (calf) — Out
Immanuel Quickley will be demoted to the bench as he, Grimes, and Miles McBride play reduced minutes if Brunson is cleared to return. While fewer opportunities will be available in that event, it remains to be seen how Brunson's facilitating role could be affected by a sprain to his non-shooting hand.
Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell
Maxi Kleber (injury recovery) — Available
Frank Ntilikina (knee) — Out
Doncic and Irving were increasingly central to Dallas' offense for their 133-126 home win over the 76ers earlier in the month. Both players scored at least 40 points as they each attempted 22 field goals. Bullock scored 15 points on five-for-12 shooting (five-for-10 from three) and was the only other Mav to attempt more than seven shots as Hardaway Jr. came off the bench.
Confirmed Lineup: James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid (calf) — In
James Harden (Achilles) — In
The remaining starters will continue playing expanded offensive roles if Embiid or Harden remain sidelined. Coach Rivers was more optimistic about Harden's chances of returning than Embiid's following Monday's game. Rivers started and utilized Dewayne Dedmon for 10.3 minutes in a three-center rotation that excluded Montrezl Harrell with Embiid sidelined Monday, a trend that could continue if Embiid remains out.
Confirmed Lineup: D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Anthony Davis
LeBron James (foot) — In
Anthony Davis (foot) — In
D'Angelo Russell (hip) — In
Mo Bamba (ankle) — Injured
James logged 29.5 minutes off the bench as he returned for Los Angeles' 118-108 home loss to Chicago on Sunday, and he posted reduced usage (28.8%) and assist rates (17.6%) while looking to find his rhythm. He should remain similarly limited in this contest, but the remaining starters will be featured less in the offense if James is re-inserted into the starting lineup.
Confirmed Lineup: Patrick Beverley, Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic
Alex Caruso (foot) — Available
Andre Drummond (personal) — Out
Javonte Green (knee) — Available
Lonzo Ball (knee) — Injured
LaVine led the Bulls with 32 points on 13-for-19 shooting in Chicago's 118-108 road win over the Lakers on Sunday. DeRozan scored 17 points on seven-for-13 shooting as he uncharacteristically acted as more of a facilitator and led the team with 10 assists despite Vucevic being ejected in the second quarter. Coby White finished with 13 points on five-for-17 shooting, seven rebounds, and six assists in 26.1 minutes but shouldn't be expected to be similarly featured if Vucevic logs a full game.
Confirmed Lineup: Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann, Eric Gordon, Nicolas Batum, Ivica Zubac
Kawhi Leonard (personal) — Out
Norman Powell (shoulder) — In
Marcus Morris (health protocols) — Out
Brandon Boston Jr. (tailbone) — Out
Paul George (knee) — Injured
Powell could be limited for conditioning concerns if cleared to play, but he could still serve as a sixth-man and close halves if he doesn't face a stringent restriction. While fewer offensive opportunities will be available when Powell rejoins the lineup, Gordon, Terance Mann, and Bones Hyland's roles should be affected most.
Confirmed Lineup: Ja Morant, Luke Kennard, Dillon Brooks, Santi Aldama, Xavier Tillman
Ja Morant (thigh) — Not on injury report
Desmond Bane (foot) — Out
Jaren Jackson Jr. (calf) — Out
Tyus Jones (foot) — Out
Xavier Tillman (ankle) — Available
John Konchar (hip) — Out
Vince Williams Jr. (shoulder) — Out
Ziaire Williams (foot, ankle) — Injured
Brandon Clarke (Achilles) — Injured
Steven Adams (knee) — Injured
Tyus Jones will be demoted to the bench as he, Luke Kennard, and Bane handle fewer on-ball responsibilities with Morant expected to return. The Grizzlies have posted a 4-1 record when playing the second game of a back-to-back set at home this season.
Confirmed Lineup: Killian Hayes, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Livers, Marvin Bagley, James Wiseman
Alec Burks (foot) — Out
Rodney McGruder (foot) — Out
Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) — Injured
Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) — Injured
Hamidou Diallo (ankle) — Injured
Cade Cunningham (shin) — Injured
Confirmed Lineup: Josh Giddey, Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) — Out
Lindy Waters III (foot) — Out
Kenrich Williams (wrist) — Injured
Chet Holmgren (foot) — Injured
Isaiah Joe led the Thunder with 33 points on 11-for-18 shooting (six-for-11 from three) with Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined for Tuesday's 137-134 loss after shooting five-for-10 from downtown in the previous game. Giddey and Jalen Williams scored 31 points Tuesday as they and Joe were the only Thunder players to exceed 10.0 minutes and 17.1% usage.
Confirmed Lineup: Talen Horton-Tucker, Ochai Agbaji, Simone Fontecchio, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Walker Kessler
Lauri Markkanen (hand) — Out
Kelly Olynyk (illness) — Out
Jordan Clarkson (finger) — Out
Simone Fontecchio (toe) — Available
Rudy Gay (back) — Out
Luka Samanic (signed) — TBD
Collin Sexton (hamstring) — Injured
Olynyk will resume acting as an offensive hub, with Agbaji and Kessler also standing to see a spike in usage if Markkanen is sidelined. In addition, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Johnny Juzang, and Samanic will be candidates to play increased minutes at forward if Markkanen and Fontecchio are unavailable.
Confirmed Lineup: Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, Keita Bates-Diop, Julian Champagnie, Zach Collins
Keldon Johnson (injury management) — Out
Devin Vassell (injury management) — Out
Jeremy Sochan (knee) — Out
Charles Bassey (knee) — Injured
Khem Birch (knee) — Injured
Devonte' Graham (24.6%), Jones (24.0%), and Doug McDermott (23.3%) have led the team in usage, while Collins (+7.8%) has posted the highest assist rate differential among active Spurs with Johnson, Vassell, Sochan, and Josh Richardson off the floor this season. Branham and Bates-Diop will also be asked to generate additional offense, especially if Langford gets the starting nod over Graham.
Confirmed Lineup: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert
Anthony Edwards (ankle, illness) — Available
Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) — Available
Kyle Anderson (illness) — Available
Taurean Prince (illness) — Out
Austin Rivers (illness) — Out
Jaylen Nowell (knee) — Out
Matt Ryan (illness) — Out
Towns was relatively sharp as he rejoined the lineup, functioning similarly to his pre-injury role and playing 32.1 minutes in his most recent match. Conversely, Edwards didn't face a restriction as he returned to play both sides of a back-to-back set, but he posted reduced 22.4% usage and a 43.1 eFG% as he struggled to find his rhythm offensively.
Confirmed Lineup: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Deandre Ayton
Kevin Durant (ankle) — In
Durant's time should be limited as he rejoins the lineup, and he logged 26.8 minutes when he made his team debut following his knee injury. Ayton (-11.9%), Paul (-7.7%), and Booker (-1.2%) posted negative usage differentials when they shared the floor with Durant during the first three games of his Suns tenure. All three shared the court with him for at least 22.4 minutes per game despite Durant being restricted for the first two contests.
Confirmed Lineup: De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis
Confirmed Lineup: Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Nassir Little, Kevin Knox, Drew Eubanks
Anfernee Simons (foot) — Out
Jerami Grant (quad) — Out
Jusuf Nurkic (knee) — Out
Trendon Watford (ankle) — Out
Cam Reddish (back) — Available
Skylar Mays (signee) — Out
Damian Lillard (calf) — Injured
Keon Johnson (finger) — Injured
Ibou Badji (knee) — Injured
Justise Winslow (ankle) — Injured
Keon Johnson has led the team with 26.4% usage and 34.0% assist rates during the last three games, averaging 26.3 minutes while splitting lead facilitating responsibilities with Arcidiacono. He played just 21.1 minutes in Portland's lone competitive match. Little (25.3%) and Sharpe (24.8%) led the Trail Blazers' projected starters in usage during those contests. It appears that Johnson will thrive in blowouts, while Sharpe and Little will shoulder more of the offense in competitive matches.