NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 12/12

Dec 12th 2022Connor Learn

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 (quad) — Available

  • Ja Morant (thigh) — Out

  • Trae Young (back) — Out

  • Donovan Mitchell (leg) — In

  • Jimmy Butler (injury management) — Available

  • Ivica Zubac (groin) — Available

  • Keldon Johnson (illness) — Available

  • Tyler Herro (ankle) — Available

  • Nic Claxton (hamstring) — Available

  • Clint Capela (Achilles) — Out

  • Steven Adams (ankle) — Out

  • Bogdan Bogdanovic (injury management) — Out

  • Josh Hart (ankle) — Available

  • Max Strus (shoulder) — Available

  • Monte Morris (groin) — Out

  • Jeremy Sochan (quad) — In

Recent NBA News

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

Miami Heat News

Confirmed Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo

  • Jimmy Butler (injury management) — Available

  • Tyler Herro (ankle) — Available

  • Max Strus (shoulder) — Available

  • Victor Oladipo (knee) — Available

  • Gabe Vincent (knee) — Out

  • Duncan Robinson (ankle) — Available

  • Dewayne Dedmon (foot) — Available

  • Omar Yurtseven (ankle) — Injured

The Pacers have allowed the third-most points in the paint per game (56.3) over each team's last five games. Adebayo (14.7) and Butler (10.7) lead the Heat at points in the paint per game.

Indiana Pacers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner

  • Daniel Theis (knee) — Injured

  • Chris Duarte (ankle) — Injured

Hield leads the Pacers with 3.6 made threes per game and has averaged 25.5 points in his last two matchups against the Heat. Opponents have made the third-most threes per game (13.4) against Miami this season.

Brooklyn Nets News

Confirmed Lineup: Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, Nic Claxton

  • Kevin Durant (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • Kyrie Irving (adductor) — Not on injury report

  • Ben Simmons (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • Nic Claxton (hamstring) — Available

  • Royce O'Neale (personal) — Out

  • Joe Harris (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • Seth Curry (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • TJ Warren (injury management) — Not on injury report

Harris, Seth Curry, and Yuta Watanabe should play more significant roles in O'Neale's absence.

Washington Wizards News

Confirmed Lineup: Jordan Goodwin, Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis

  • Monte Morris (groin) — Out

  • Will Barton (foot) — Not on injury report

  • Anthony Gill (heel) — Available

  • Bradley Beal (hamstring) — Injured

  • Rui Hachimura (ankle) — Injured

  • Delon Wright (hamstring) — Injured

Avdija has averaged 36.9 minutes in the last seven games Beal has sat this season. He has registered a +5.5% assist rate differential in the nine games Beal has missed.

Atlanta Hawks News

Confirmed Lineup: Trent Forrest, AJ Griffin, De'Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu

  • Trae Young (back) — Out

  • Clint Capela (Achilles) — Out

  • Bogdan Bogdanovic (injury management) — Out

  • John Collins (ankle) — Injured

  • Dejounte Murray (ankle) — Injured

Bogdanovic was supposed to be on a minute restriction but averaged 34.6 minutes in the last two games. Young, Hunter, and Griffin could shoulder more of the offense if Bogdanovic sits to manage his surgically repaired knee for the second game of a back-to-back.

Memphis Grizzlies News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyus Jones, John Konchar, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke

  • Ja Morant (thigh) — Out

  • Steven Adams (ankle) — Out

  • Jake LaRavia (foot) — Available

  • Desmond Bane (toe) — Injured

  • Danny Green (ACL) — Injured

Jackson Jr. logged a +9.0% usage differential in the 86 minutes he has shared the floor with Brooks and Tyus Jones while Morant was off the floor this season. Jones posted 12.6% usage and a 37.9% assist rate in those minutes.

Oklahoma City Thunder News

Confirmed Lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Aleksej Pokusevski

  • Kenrich Williams (knee) — Out

  • Ousmane Dieng (G-League) — Out

  • Chet Holmgren (foot) — Injured

Giddey has led the Thunder with a 26.0% defensive rebounding rate in the last five games. He had a 17.6% defensive rebounding clip in his first 18 games.

Dallas Mavericks News

Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell

  • Luka Doncic (quad) — Available

  • Josh Green (elbow) — Out

  • Maxi Kleber (foot) — Available

  • Davis Bertans (illness) — Out

Cleveland Cavaliers News

Confirmed Lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Lamar Stevens, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

  • Donovan Mitchell (leg) — In

  • Kevin Love (back) — In

  • Mamadi Diakite (G-League) — Out

  • Dean Wade (shoulder) — Injured

  • Dylan Windler (ankle) — Injured

  • Ricky Rubio (ACL) — Injured

Caris LeVert (+7.5%) and Mobley (+3.2%) have the highest usage differentials with Mitchell out for the last two games. Garland has logged a -1.0% usage differential and a +0.8 assist rate differential in the last two matches.

San Antonio Spurs News

Confirmed Lineup: Tre Jones, Romeo Langford, Keldon Johnson, Isaiah Roby, Zach Collins

  • Keldon Johnson (illness) — Available

  • Jeremy Sochan (quad) — In

  • Keita Bates-Diop (foot) — Out

  • Jakob Poeltl (knee) — Injured

  • Blake Wesley (knee) — Injured

Romeo Langford averaged 15.0 points on 18.0% usage in 28.4 minutes during the last two games. He could remain in the starting lineup if Sochan is ruled out.

Minnesota Timberwolves News

Confirmed Lineup: D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Rudy Gobert

  • Jordan McLaughlin (calf) — Out

  • Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) — Injured

  • Taurean Prince (shoulder) — Injured

Edwards (25.8%), Russell (24.7%), and Gobert (21.6%) led Timberwolves starters in usage as all three players scored 24 points or more in their 124-118 road loss to the Trail Blazers on Saturday. Coach Finch deployed Jaylen Nowell for just 16.0 minutes, which made their offense more crucial.

Portland Trail Blazers News

Confirmed Lineup: Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic

  • Josh Hart (ankle) — Available

  • Justise Winslow (groin) — Available

  • Drew Eubanks (hip) — Available

  • Nassir Little (hip) — Injured

  • Gary Payton II (core) — Injured

Lillard (34.0%) and Simons (29.6%) dominated usage for the Trail Blazers as both players exceeded 30 points in their 124-118 home win over the Timberwolves on Saturday. Both players attempted ten threes or more, and Minnesota remains vulnerable from downtown.

Boston Celtics News

Confirmed Lineup: Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Blake Griffin

  • Robert Williams (knee) — Out

  • Al Horford (personal) — Out

  • Danilo Gallinari (ACL) — Injured

Tatum averaged 34.3 points and shot 51.4% from the field in his last three games against Kawhi Leonard.

Los Angeles Clippers News

Confirmed Lineup: Reggie Jackson, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac

  • Ivica Zubac (groin) — Available

  • Reggie Jackson (rest) — Not on injury report

  • Norman Powell (groin) — Out

Leonard's minutes are expected to remain restricted, but he played 30 minutes in each of the last two games. He posted 20.3% usage and a 42.3 eFG% in those games and still hasn't found his rhythm offensively.