NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 1/25

Jan 25th 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

  • LeBron James (ankle) — Available

  • Anthony Davis (Achilles) — Available

  • Cam Johnson (shoulder) — Available

  • Tobias Harris (illness) — Out

  • Mike Conley (illness) — In

  • Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) — Out

  • Patrick Williams (ankle) — Available

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

Philadelphia 76ers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Maxey, Patrick Beverley, Kelly Oubre, Nicolas Batum, Joel Embiid

  • Tobias Harris (illness) — Out

  • Patrick Beverley (illness) — Not on injury report

  • Marcus Morris (foot) — Out

  • Jaden Springer (ankle) — Available

  • Mo Bamba (knee) — Out

  • Kenneth Lofton Jr. (shoulder) — Out

  • De'Anthony Melton (back) — Injured

  • Robert Covington (knee) — Injured

Harris has missed just one game this season but is uncertain to play against the Pacers. In the outing Harris wasn't available for, Embiid was also absent, which led to Maxey attempting 24 field goals in a losing effort. With Embiid healthy, he's expected to garner a lot of usage against Indiana, who have improved their Defensive Rating in January. In his most recent appearance versus the Pacers, Embiid led the 76ers with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Indiana Pacers News

Confirmed Lineup: Andrew Nembhard, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner

  • Jalen Smith (back) — Available

  • Tyrese Haliburton (injury management) — Out

Utah Jazz News

Confirmed Lineup: Kris Dunn, Collin Sexton, Simone Fontecchio, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins

Washington Wizards News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, Daniel Gafford

  • Isaiah Livers (hip) — Out

Minnesota Timberwolves News

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

  • Mike Conley (illness) — In

  • Jaylen Clark (Achilles) — Injured

Brooklyn Nets News

Confirmed Lineup: Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton

  • Cam Johnson (shoulder) — Available

  • Dariq Whitehead (foot) — Injured

  • Ben Simmons (back) — Injured

  • Day'Ron Sharpe (knee) — Injured

The Nets have lost eight of their 10 games in January and could now be without one of their key players in Johnson. During that 10-game span, Brooklyn's -4.3 Net Rating ranks in the league's bottom 10, and their 108.4 points per contest are the fifth-fewest of any team. If Johnson is sidelined, the Nets will have their hands full against Minnesota, who has a league-best 108.8 Defensive Rating. This will be the first matchup between these two teams in the 2023-2024 campaign.

Boston Celtics News

Confirmed Lineup: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis

  • Kristaps Porzingis (knee) — Not on injury report

  • Oshae Brissett (back) — Not on injury report

Miami Heat News

Confirmed Lineup: Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith, Bam Adebayo

  • Jaime Jaquez Jr. (groin) — Out

  • Kevin Love (illness) — Out

  • Dru Smith (knee) — Out for season

Denver Nuggets News

Confirmed Lineup: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic

  • Reggie Jackson (toe) — Available

  • Julian Strawther (knee) — Injured

  • Vlatko Cancar (knee) — Injured

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, Jericho Sims

  • Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) — Out

  • Mitchell Robinson (ankle) — Injured

Jericho Sims started sans Hartenstein in the previous game and played 27 minutes. However, he didn't play in the fourth quarter, as Precious Achiuwa closed the game at center. If Hartenstein is sidelined again, Sims and Achiuwa will likely split playing time at the five again. Whoever is manning that position will match up with Nikola Jokic for the majority of the night. Denver allows the tenth-most points per game (23.2) to opposing centers league-wide, but Brunson and Randle will likely handle most of the offensive responsibilities against the Nuggets.

Sacramento Kings News

Confirmed Lineup: De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis

  • Sasha Vezenkov (ankle) — Injured

Golden State Warriors News

Confirmed Lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Dario Saric, Kevon Looney

  • Chris Paul (hand) — Injured

  • Gary Payton II (hamstring) — Injured

  • Moses Moody (calf) — Injured

Chicago Bulls News

Confirmed Lineup: Coby White, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic

  • Patrick Williams (ankle) — Available

  • Zach LaVine (ankle) — Injured

  • Torrey Craig (foot) — Injured

  • Lonzo Ball (knee) — Out for season

Los Angeles Lakers News

Confirmed Lineup: D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

  • LeBron James (ankle) — Available

  • Anthony Davis (Achilles) — Available

  • Cam Reddish (ankle) — Out

  • Gabe Vincent (knee) — Injured

Without James in the previous outing, the Lakers lost by double digits despite a combined 53 points from Davis and Russell. They gave up 127 points to the Clippers in that loss and will now face the Bulls sans Zach LaVine. If James is sidelined again, Davis and Russell will likely garner increased usage. It'll be no easy task to produce offensively against the Bulls, who have had the league's seventh-best Defensive Rating (113.1) this month.