NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 12/11

Dec 11th 2023Cooper 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

  • Joel Embiid (knee) — In

  • Anthony Edwards (hip) — Out

  • Jamal Murray (ankle) — Available

  • Jalen Brunson (ankle) — In

  • Deandre Ayton (knee) — Out

  • Malcolm Brogdon (knee) — Out

  • Jaden McDaniels (ankle) — Available

  • John Collins (illness) — Out

  • Dillon Brooks (illness) — Available

  • Lu Dort (ankle) — Out

  • Kyle Lowry (back) — Available

  • Mark Williams (back) — Out

  • Jalen Suggs (ankle) — Available

  • Daniel Gafford (hip) — Out

  • De'Andre Hunter (quad) — Out

  • Alex Caruso (ankle) — Out

  • Patrick Williams (ankle) — Available

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

Miami Heat News

Confirmed Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Orlando Robinson

  • Kyle Lowry (back) — Available

  • Bam Adebayo (hip) — Out

  • Haywood Highsmith (back) — Out

  • Tyler Herro (ankle) — Injured

  • RJ Hampton — Available

  • Dru Smith (knee) — Out for season

With Adebayo sidelined, the Heat have lost two of their last three games. Over that stretch, their 120.9 Defensive Rating has been the fifth-worst. Meanwhile, Miami's season-long Defensive Rating of 113.0 ranks in the top half of the league, and it is apparent that Adebayo's absence is negatively affecting their defensive ability. Even without Adebayo, the Heat should be able to play better defensively against the Hornets, who are dealing with injuries of their own and have scored the seventh-fewest points per game (111.2) over the last five outings.

Charlotte Hornets News

Confirmed Lineup: Terry Rozier, Brandon Miller, Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges, Nick Richards

  • Mark Williams (back) — Out

  • Nick Smith Jr. (ankle) — Out

  • LaMelo Ball (ankle) — Injured

  • Frank Ntilikina (leg) — Injured

  • Cody Martin (knee) — Injured

Ball has missed the last five outings and will be reevaluated at some point this week. He was at Sunday's practice when he spoke about his progress and efforts to get back on the floor. “Just to have two shoes on and walking around touching the ball, it’s always great,” Ball said. “It feels way better than when it happened because at first, I couldn’t even put any pressure on my foot. But now I can stand on two feet, walk a little. Still (have) a little limp, but way better than it was.” The Hornets, without Ball, will face a Heat team that has struggled defensively without Bam Adebayo in the lineup.

Indiana Pacers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Bruce Brown, Buddy Hield, Obi Toppin, Myles Turner

  • Aaron Nesmith (hip) — Available

  • Jalen Smith (knee, heel) — Injured

  • Andrew Nembhard (knee) — Injured

Detroit Pistons News

Confirmed Lineup: Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Ausar Thompson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart

  • Marvin Bagley III (back) — Out

  • Jalen Duren (ankle) — Injured

  • Monte Morris (quad) — Injured

Cleveland Cavaliers News

Confirmed Lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Dean Wade, Jarrett Allen

  • Evan Mobley (knee) — Out

  • Caris LeVert (injury management) — Out

  • Ty Jerome (ankle) — Injured

  • Ricky Rubio (personal) — NWT

In the previous outing, Mobley missed his first game of the season, and the Cavaliers won while holding their opponent to under 100 points. They'll now face an Orlando team that has been one of the surprises of the league this season. Cleveland doesn't match up particularly well against Orlando, as the Cavs' 111.2 Offensive Rating is the seventh-worst league-wide, while the Magic's 108.9 Defensive Rating is the league's second-best. In the first meeting between these teams this season, Cleveland secured a 10-point win.

Orlando Magic News

Confirmed Lineup: Anthony Black, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Goga Bitadze

  • Jalen Suggs (ankle) — Available

  • Jonathan Isaac (ankle) — In

  • Markelle Fultz (knee) — Injured

  • Wendell Carter Jr. (hand) — Injured

Washington Wizards News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, Mike Muscala

  • Daniel Gafford (hip) — Out

  • Landry Shamet (rib) — Out

  • Johnny Davis (calf) — Injured

  • Delon Wright (knee) — Injured

  • Ryan Rollins (knee) — Injured

Philadelphia 76ers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Maxey, De'Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, Nicolas Batum, Joel Embiid

  • Joel Embiid (knee) — In

Embiid twisted his knee in the previous contest, and while he played through the ailment, he was visibly limping toward the end of the game. He was essentially a full participant in Sunday's practice, but his status for Monday's outing remains uncertain. The 76ers have won 14 of 18 games with Embiid available, but they've lost all three that he's missed. Their 122.6 points per contest with Embiid are the second-most league-wide, but that number drops to 110.7 points per game when he is sidelined. Philadelphia should be able to find success regardless of Embiid's final status, as they will face a Wizards team with the worst Defensive Rating (120.7) in the league.

Denver Nuggets News

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

  • Jamal Murray (ankle) — Available

  • Vlatko Cancar (knee) — Injured

Atlanta Hawks News

Confirmed Lineup: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Garrison Mathews, Saddiq Bey, Clint Capela

  • De'Andre Hunter (quad) — Out

  • Jalen Johnson (wrist) — Injured

  • Mouhamed Gueye (back) — Injured

  • Kobe Bufkin (thumb) — Injured

Toronto Raptors News

Confirmed Lineup: Dennis Schroder, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl

  • Otto Porter Jr. (foot) — Out

  • Christian Koloko (respiratory) — Injured

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Jericho Sims

  • Jalen Brunson (ankle) — In

  • Immanuel Quickley (knee) — Out

  • Mitchell Robinson (ankle) — Injured

Brunson is uncertain to play in Monday's contest after getting injured at the end of the previous outing. On Sunday, when asked about Brunson's availability, coach Thibodeau said that Brunson was "good to go" for Monday. However, that was before he was listed as questionable on the injury report, so Brunson's ailment could be more painful or limiting than Thibodeau initially thought. If he can't suit up, the Knicks will have to start a backup point guard against a Raptors team that allows the second-fewest points per game (20.8) to that position group.

San Antonio Spurs News

Confirmed Lineup: Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama

  • Charles Bassey (knee) — Out

Houston Rockets News

Confirmed Lineup: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

  • Dillon Brooks (illness) — Available

  • Tari Eason (leg) — Available

  • Reggie Bullock (illness) — Out

  • Victor Oladipo (knee) — Injured

Dallas Mavericks News

Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Seth Curry, Dante Exum, Derrick Jones Jr., Dereck Lively II

  • Tim Hardaway Jr. (back) — Out

  • Grant Williams (knee) — Out

  • Kyrie Irving (heel) — Injured

  • Josh Green (elbow) — Injured

  • Maxi Kleber (toe) — Injured

Memphis Grizzlies News

Confirmed Lineup: Derrick Rose, Desmond Bane, David Roddy, Santi Aldama, Jaren Jackson Jr.

  • Jake LaRavia (eye) — Available

  • Ja Morant — Suspended

  • Marcus Smart (foot) — Injured

  • Luke Kennard (knee) — Injured

  • Brandon Clarke (Achilles) — Injured

  • Steven Adams (knee) — Out for season

Chicago Bulls News

Confirmed Lineup: Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic

  • Alex Caruso (ankle) — Out

  • Patrick Williams (ankle) — Available

  • Zach LaVine (foot) — Injured

  • Lonzo Ball (knee) — Out for season

Milwaukee Bucks News

Confirmed Lineup: Damian Lillard, Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez

  • Chris Livingston (ankle) — Out

  • Jae Crowder (adductor, abdomen) — Injured

Minnesota Timberwolves News

Confirmed Lineup: Mike Conley, Troy Brown Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert

  • Anthony Edwards (hip) — Out

  • Jaden McDaniels (ankle) — Available

  • Jordan McLaughlin (knee) — Available

  • Jaylen Clark (Achilles) — Injured

Edwards returned to the lineup two contests ago. In his first game back, he finished with 17 points but shot 24% from the field as he attempted to shake off some rust. In the previous outing, he played just four minutes before exiting the contest early. Jaden McDaniels could also return to the floor after missing the last eight games. It's unclear if Edwards or McDaniels would face any limitations if available. The Wolves have won both games played without Edwards this season and will now face a Pelicans team that's coming off a poor performance in the In-Season Tournament semifinals.

New Orleans Pelicans News

Confirmed Lineup: CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas

  • Matt Ryan (elbow) — Out

  • Larry Nance Jr. (rib) — Injured

Utah Jazz News

Confirmed Lineup: Keyonte George, Jordan Clarkson, Ochai Agbaji, Simone Fontecchio, Kelly Olynyk

  • John Collins (illness) — Out

  • Lauri Markkanen (hamstring) — Out

  • Walker Kessler (foot) — Out

Oklahoma City Thunder News

Confirmed Lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren

  • Lu Dort (ankle) — Out

Brooklyn Nets News

Confirmed Lineup: Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Thomas, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton

  • Dennis Smith Jr. (back) — Out

  • Lonnie Walker (hamstring) — Injured

  • Ben Simmons (back) — Injured

Sacramento Kings News

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

  • Malik Monk (illness) — Available

  • Colby Jones (back) — Available

  • Alex Len (ankle) — Injured

Portland Trail Blazers News

Confirmed Lineup: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Matisse Thybulle, Toumani Camara, Duop Reath

  • Malcolm Brogdon (knee) — Out

  • Deandre Ayton (knee) — Out

  • Jerami Grant (concussion) — Out

  • Ish Wainright (knee) — Injured

  • Robert Williams (knee) — Out for season

Without Brogdon, Ayton, and Grant available last game, the Trail Blazers shot 37.1% from the field and lost by 13 points. Portland's 43.1% field goal percentage is the lowest league-wide, and they struggled even more due to some of their best players being sidelined. They'll hope to get at least one of Brogdon or Ayton back against the Clippers, whose opponents' 45.1% field goal percentage is the league's sixth-lowest. The healthy Blazers played the Clippers in their first game of the season and still lost by double digits.

Los Angeles Clippers News

Confirmed Lineup: James Harden, Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac

  • Bones Hyland (shoulder) — Out

  • Moussa Diabate (hip) — Out

  • Mason Plumlee (knee) — Injured