NBA Injury News & Starting Lineups (December 29): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Out & Heat-Spurs Postponed Wednesday

NBA Injury News & Starting Lineups (December 29): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Out & Heat-Spurs Postponed Wednesday article feature image
Credit:

Mark Blinch/Getty Images. Pictured: Malcolm Brogdon #7 of the Indiana Pacers.

Below are the projected starting lineups for each team playing on Wednesday's NBA slate, along with notable injury news for each squad. For real-time injury updates, check out our FantasyLabs NBA news page

NBA Injury News

8:00 p.m. ET Update: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Ankle) is a late scratch for the Thunder. Eric Paschall (Personal) is out Wednesday for the Jazz.

7:35 p.m. ET Update: LeBron James (Abdominal) will play Wednesday for the Lakers.

7:20 p.m. ET Update: Evan Fournier (Ankle) is a late scratch for the Knicks. Abdel Nader has entered Health and Safety Protocols and is out for the Suns.

6:00 p.m. ET Update: Marcus Smart (Hand) and Josh Richardson (Health and Safety Protocols) are out for the Celtics against the Clippers while Reggie Jackson (Conditioning) is out for LA.

5:30 p.m. ET Update: Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) and Jeremy Lamb (Health and Safety Protocols) are out.

5:00 p.m. ET Update: Reggie Jackson (Conditioning) has been updated to doubtful for the Clippers.

3:30 p.m. ET Update: The Heat-Spurs game for Wednesday night has been postponed because the Heat do not have eight available players.

Malcolm Brogdon is again listed as questionable ahead of the Indiana Pacers' matchup with the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday. He has been in and out of the lineup since Dec. 16 with a lingering Achilles issue and missed three of the four Pacers games over that span. In the one game he did attempt to play, he logged just seven minutes.

Marcus Smart is questionable Wednesday with a cut to his right hand ahead of a home game against the Los Angles Clippers. Smart sat out with the same injury on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jimmy Butler has been ruled out Wednesday with an ankle injury. Butler had already missed eight games with a tailbone injury before returning for two games but twisted his ankle Tuesday against the Washington Wizards. Butler also missed time earlier because of an injury to this same ankle.

The Miami Heat will also be without PJ Tucker, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus who have all entered health and safety protocols.

Projected Starting Lineups

New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons (7 p.m. ET)

Knicks Projected Lineup

PG – Kemba Walker
SG – Quentin Grimes
SF – RJ Barrett
PF – Julius Randle
C – Mitchell Robinson

Injury news: Danuel House (Finger) is out; Nerlens Noel and Wayne Selden are out due to health and safety protocols

Pistons Projected Lineup

PG – Frank Jackson
SG – Hamidou Diallo
SF – Saddiq Bey
PF – Luka Garza
C – Derrick Walton Jr.

Injury news: Jerami Grant (Thumb) is out; Trey Lyles, Cory Joseph, Rodney McGruder, Josh Jackson, Saben Lee, Isaiah Stewart, Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes are out due to health and safety protocols

Charlotte Hornets vs. Indiana Pacers (7 p.m. ET)

Hornets Projected Lineup

PG – Terry Rozier
SG – LaMelo Ball
SF – Gordon Hayward
PF – Jalen McDaniels
C – Mason Plumlee

Injury news: PJ Washington and Miles Bridges are out due to health and safety protocols

Pacers Projected Lineup

PG – Caris LeVert
SG – Chris Duarte
SF – Justin Holiday
PF – Domantas Sabonis
C – Myles Turner

Injury news: Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) is out; TJ McConnell (Wrist) is out; Jeremy Lamb (Health and Safety Protocols) is out

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET)

Clippers Projected Lineup

PG – Eric Bledsoe
SG – Terance Mann Luke Kennard
SF – Luke Kennard
PF – Marcus Morris
C – Ivica Zubac

Injury news: Nicolas Batum (Ankle) is out; Reggie Jackson (conditioning) is doubtful, Moses Wright, Jay Scrubb are out due to health and safety protocols

Celtics Projected Lineup

PG – Payton Pritchard
SG – Jaylen Brown
SF – Romeo Langford
PF – Al Horford
C – Robert Williams

Injury news: Marcus Smart (Hand) is out; CJ Miles, Enes Freedom, Dennis Schroder, Jayson Tatum, Justin Jackson, Bruno Fernando, Sam Hauser and Aaron Nesmith are out due to health and safety protocols

Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls (8 p.m. ET)

Hawks Projected Lineup

PG – Trae Young
SG – Skylar Mays
SF – Cam Reddish
PF – Chaundee Brown
C – Clint Capela

Injury news: Cam Reddish (Ankle) is probable; Lou Williams, Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari, Gorgui Dieng, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, Onyeka Okongwu, Sharife Cooper, Jalen Johnson and Malik Ellison are out due to health and safety protocols

Bulls Projected Lineup

PG – Coby White
SG – DeMar DeRozan
SF – Zach LaVine
PF – Javonte Green
C – Nikola Vucevic

Injury news: Derrick Jones Jr. (Hamstring) and Alex Caruso (Foot) are out; Ersan Ilyasova, Alfonzo McKinnie, Lonzo Ball and Tony Bradley are out due to health and safety protocols

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Memphis Grizzlies (8 p.m. ET)

Lakers Projected Lineup

PG – Russell Westbrook
SG – Avery Bradley
SF – Malik Monk
PF – LeBron James
C – Dwight Howard

Injury news: Wayne Ellington (Illness) and Anthony Davis (Knee) are out; Rajon Rondo, Kent Bazemore, Trevor Ariza, Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves are out due to health and safety protocols

Grizzlies Projected Lineup

PG – Ja Morant
SG – Desmond Bane
SF – Kyle Anderson
PF – Jaren Jackson Jr.
C – Steven Adams

Injury news: Sam Merrill (Ankle) and Santi Aldama (Calf) are out; Dillon Brooks, Yves Pons, John Konchar, Jarrett Culver, De'Anthony Melton and Ziaire Williams are out due to health and safety protocols

Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs (8:30 p.m. ET)

This game has been postponed because the Heat do not have enough players to compete.

Heat Projected Lineup

PG – Tyler Herro
SG – Caleb Martin
SF – Duncan Robinson
PF – KZ Okpala
C – Omer Yurtseven

Injury news: KZ Okpala (Wrist) is questionable; Markieff Morris (Neck) and Dewayne Dedmon (Knee) are out; Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, Udonis Haslem, Zylan Cheatham, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus are out due to health and safety protocols

Spurs Projected Lineup

PG – Derrick White
SG – Tre Jones
SF – Doug McDermott
PF – Keldon Johnson
C – Jakob Poeltl

Injury news: Dejounte Murray (COVID Protocols) is out

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns (9 p.m. ET)

Thunder Projected Lineup

PG – Ty Jerome
SG – Aaron Wiggins
SF – Lu Dort
PF – Paul Watson Jr
C – Isaiah Roby

Injury news: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Ankle) is out. Derrick Favors (health protocols) is expected to play, Darius Bazley, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Tre Mann, Aleksej Pokusevski and Josh Giddey are out due to health and safety protocols

Suns Projected Lineup

PG – Chris Paul
SG – Devin Booker
SF – Mikal Bridges
PF – Cam Johnson
C – JaVale McGee

Injury news: Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton are out due to health and safety protocols

Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers (10 p.m. ET)

Jazz Projected Lineup

PG – Mike Conley
SG – Royce O'Neale
SF – Bojan Bogdanovic
PF – Joe Ingles
C – Rudy Gobert

Injury news: Donovan Mitchell (Back), Eric Paschall (Personal), and Udoka Azubuike (Ankle) are out

Trail Blazers Projected Lineup

PG – Damian Lillard
SG – Nassir Little
SF – Cameron McGriff
PF – Larry Nance Jr.
C – Norman Powell

Injury news: CJ McCollum (Ribs) is out; Ben McLemore, Cody Zeller, Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic, Dennis Smith Jr., Keljin Blevins, Trendon Watford are out due to health and safety protocols

Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings (10:30 p.m. ET)

Mavericks Projected Lineup

PG – Jalen Brunson
SG – Dorian Finney-Smith
SF – Reggie Bullock
PF – Dwight Powell
C – Kristaps Porzingis

Injury news: Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke, Maxi Kleber, Jaquori McLaughlin and Luka Doncic are out due to health and safety protocols. Reggie Bullock (Conditioning) is also out.

Kings Projected Lineup

PG – De'Aaron Fox
SG – Tyrese Haliburton
SF – Harrison Barnes
PF – Marvin Bagley III
C – Richaun Holmes

Injury news: Alex Len (Conditioning) is out; Davion Mitchell and Neemias Queta are out due to health and safety protocols


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