NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 3/24

Mar 24th 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

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) — In

  • Anthony Edwards (finger) — Available

  • LeBron James (ankle) — Available

  • Anthony Davis (Achilles) — Available

  • Cade Cunningham (injury management) — Out

  • Rudy Gobert (rib) — Available

  • Khris Middleton (ankle) — In

  • Evan Mobley (ankle) — In

  • Jalen Duren (back) — Out

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

New Orleans Pelicans News

Confirmed Lineup: CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas

  • Brandon Ingram (knee) — Injured

  • Dyson Daniels (knee) — Injured

With Ingram set to miss some time, expect Williamson and McCollum to see an uptick in usage. The two players have seen respective usage rate differentials of +1.8% and +6.2% sans Ingram this season. Murphy III is expected to remain a starter until Ingram returns. This version of the Pelicans shouldn't have much of an issue with the Pistons, who have lost five consecutive outings and could be without Jalen Duren (back). New Orleans has gone 5-2 without Ingram available this season.

Detroit Pistons News

Confirmed Lineup: Marcus Sasser, Jaden Ivey, Troy Brown Jr., Chimezie Metu, James Wiseman

  • Cade Cunningham (injury management) — Out

  • Jalen Duren (back) — Out

  • Simone Fontecchio (toe) — Out

  • Quentin Grimes (knee) — Out

  • Taj Gibson (hamstring) — Out

  • Stanley Umude (ankle) — Out for season

  • Ausar Thompson (blood clot) — Out for season

  • Isaiah Stewart (hamstring) — Out for season

Philadelphia 76ers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Maxey, Buddy Hield, Kelly Oubre, Tobias Harris, Mo Bamba

  • Kyle Lowry (rest) — Out

  • Kai Jones (hamstring) — Out

  • Joel Embiid (knee) — Injured

  • Robert Covington (knee) — Injured

  • De'Anthony Melton (back) — Injured

Los Angeles Clippers News

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

  • Daniel Theis — Not on injury report

  • Norman Powell (leg) — In

  • PJ Tucker (calf) — Out

  • Russell Westbrook (hand) — Out

Cleveland Cavaliers News

Confirmed Lineup: Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

  • Evan Mobley (ankle) — In

  • Donovan Mitchell (nose) — Injured

  • Max Strus (knee) — Injured

  • Dean Wade (knee) — Injured

  • Ty Jerome (ankle) — Injured

Mobley has missed nine consecutive outings but could return to the lineup on Sunday. If he is cleared to play, he could be somewhat limited. Regardless, his presence would be expected to revert Georges Niang to a reserve role. Before being sidelined, Mobley averaged 15.6 points and a career-high 10.2 rebounds per contest. More than anything, he provided another defensive presence in the paint with Allen. The Cavs will face the Heat, who have scored the fifth-fewest points per game (104.2) league-wide this month.

Miami Heat News

Confirmed Lineup: Terry Rozier, Patty Mills, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jovic, Bam Adebayo

  • Jaime Jaquez Jr. (knee, ankle) — Out

  • Caleb Martin (knee, ankle) — Available

  • Duncan Robinson (back) — Out

  • Tyler Herro (foot) — Injured

  • Kevin Love (heel) — Injured

  • Josh Richardson (shoulder) — Out for season

Oklahoma City Thunder News

Confirmed Lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren

Milwaukee Bucks News

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

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) — In

  • Khris Middleton (ankle) — In

  • AJ Green (illness) — Out

Golden State Warriors News

Confirmed Lineup: Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green

Minnesota Timberwolves News

Confirmed Lineup: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert

  • Anthony Edwards (finger) — Available

  • Rudy Gobert (rib) — Available

  • Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) — Injured

  • Jaylen Clark (Achilles) — Injured

While Edwards has a history of playing through questionable tags, there's a chance he and Gobert are unavailable for the Timberwolves' contest against the Warriors. Minnesota has gone 2-1 without Edwards and 3-3 sans Gobert this season. They have yet to play a game where Edwards and Gobert were both sidelined. The two players' presences would be critical against Golden State, but Gobert's final status is the most intriguing, as the Warriors have given up the eighth-most points per game to opposing centers this season.

Indiana Pacers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner

  • James Johnson (personal) — Available

  • Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) — Out for season

Los Angeles Lakers News

Confirmed Lineup: Spencer Dinwiddie, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

  • Taurean Prince (personal) — Not on injury report

  • LeBron James (ankle) — Available

  • Anthony Davis (Achilles) — Available

  • D'Angelo Russell (illness) — Out

  • Gabe Vincent (knee) — Injured

  • Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) — Injured

  • Christian Wood (knee) — Injured

  • Jalen Hood-Schifino (back) — Injured

  • Colin Castleton (wrist) — Injured

James and Davis have been listed on nearly every injury report this season. However, James has missed nine games, while Davis has missed just four. If the Lakers have at least one of the two available, they should be in a good spot against the Pacers. Indiana's season-long 119.8 Offensive Rating is the league's second-best, but that rating has dropped to 114.8 in March. Meanwhile, the Lakers' 119.0 Offensive Rating this month is the fourth-best league-wide. Their previous meeting with Indiana was the In-Season Tournament Championship. Los Angeles won that contest and was led by Davis, who scored 41 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.