April 21st NBA Injury Report and Projected Lineups

• It’s a packed day across the NBA on Wednesday, April 21st, with a total of 12 games on the schedule
• Some key players will be out though, such as Zach LaVine and Kawhi Leonard
• Get the key injury updates and projected starting lineups below

Injuries have been at an all-time high this season in the Association, with many key players going on the shelf. As the playoff race heats up, more stars remain out for Wednesday’s full slate.

The Clippers will take on the Grizzlies in a West showdown, while the surging Suns face the Sixers. The Nuggets and Trail Blazers also meet, with Damian Lillard expected to miss out once again with a hamstring injury.

Read on to find the important injury news for April 21st.

NBA Injury News – April 21st

• Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons is questionable vs Suns (illness). Not COVID-19 related, but he did miss Monday’s game against Golden State
• Nets star Kevin Durant is expected to be questionable vs. Toronto due to a thigh contusion. Missed Tuesday’s matchup with the Pelicans
• James Harden suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Timetable unknown, but expected to be out at least a few more weeks
• Blazers star Damian Lillard was ruled out on Tuesday for the third-straight contest (hamstring), therefore he is expected to be questionable for Wednesday’s matchup with Denver

April 21st Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks vs Knicks Projected Lineups

Both of these teams head into Wednesday’s contest with relatively healthy rosters. The Hawks remain without Danilo Gallinari, Tony Snell, Kris Dunn, and Cam Reddish, who have all be sidelined for quite some time. New York is missing just Alec Burks (COVID-19) and Mitchell Robinson (foot).

Warriors vs Wizards Projected Lineups

Golden State’s Damion Lee is questionable for this matchup due to toe soreness, while Juan Toscano-Anderson misses out with a concussion. As for the Wizards, Rui Hachimura is sidelined with a sore knee. Bradley Beal will shift over to small forward again as a result, while Raul Neto will see more minutes in the DC backcourt.

Bulls vs Cavaliers Projected Lineups

Zach LaVine remains out due to COVID-19 and the Bulls don’t currently have a timetable on his return. Expect Garrett Temple to get lots of minutes again.  Cleveland is finally close to full strength, with only Damyean Dotson and Dylan Windler out.

Thunder vs Pacers Projected Lineups

Lots of injuries in this matchup. The slumping Thunder has been without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a prolonged amount of time and he continues to be out. Lu Dort is listed as questionable (hip), which is going to leave the OKC backcourt very depleted.

Indiana’s star big man Domantas Sabonis will miss his second-straight contest with back soreness. Goga Bitadze, Doug McDermott, and Jeremy Lamb are all listed as questionable. Expect a much different frontcourt for the Pacers on Wednesday.

Suns vs 76ers Projected Lineups

One of the marquee matchups of the night will feature almost full-strength lineups on both sides. Dario Saric is probable on Wednesday with left ankle soreness after making his first start of the season on Monday.

Ben Simmons misses out for Philly again with an illness, giving Furkan Korkmaz for minutes. Tobias Harris is listed as questionable (knee soreness), but there’s a chance he could return for this contest.

Nets vs Raptors Projected Lineups

Brooklyn will be without two of their three stars again. Durant continues to be sidelined with a thigh contusion, while Harden isn’t close to a return. Toronto is expected to get Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and Kyle Lowry all back for Wednesday’s matchup.

Jazz vs Rockets Projected Lineups

Utah continues to miss star guard Donovan Mitchell, who is nursing an ankle injury. Joe Ingles will see more minutes at shooting guard as a result. For Houston, they’ll roll with essentially the same starting lineup as past games. The team remains without a handful of players, such as D.J. Augustin, Eric Gordon, and Danuel House, among others.

Pistons vs Mavericks Projected Lineups

Jerami Grant is off the injury report for Detroit and expected to return to the starting lineup, which is a huge boost for the offense. Rookie guard Killian Hayes meanwhile, will take a rest day. Dennis Smith Jr. is listed as questionable due to knee soreness. For Dallas, they are fully healthy, with the exception of Tim Hardaway. He is also questionable with an illness.

Heat vs Spurs Projected Lineups

It’s very likely the Heat will be without their three leading scorers for the second consecutive game. Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Tyler Herro are all listed as questionable. The Spurs meanwhile, are at full strength except for the absence of Trey Lyles, who’s been out for almost a month.

Grizzlies vs Clippers Projected Lineups

Great news for the Grizzlies, with Jaren Jackson Jr. potentially returning for his season debut on Wednesday. He’ll be eased in though and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him play limited minutes. Jonas Valanciunas is out with a concussion, while Dillon Brooks is questionable.

For the Clips, Kawhi Leonard heads back on the shelf for at least another seven days. Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley remain sidelined as they recover from their respective injuries.

Timberwolves vs Kings Projected Lineups

For the Timberwolves, Malik Beasley and Jaylen Nowell remain out with long-term injuries. Sacramento continues to play without forwards Marvin Bagley and Richaun Holmes, with the latter expected to return later this week.

Nuggets vs Trail Blazers Projected Lineups

Along with Jamal Murray’s season-ending knee injury, Denver is also without guard Monte Morris, who is expected to be out with a hamstring injury. It’s the same issue that caused him to miss 11 games in March and early April.

For the Blazers, Damian Lillard isn’t expected to return on Wednesday. That means more minutes for CJ McCollum at point guard, while Norman Powell will start beside him. Also, expect Jusuf Nurkic to return from injury management on Wednesday after missing Portland’s previous game.