NBA Injury News & Starting Lineups (December 21): Damian Lillard is Cleared to Play, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose Out Tuesday

Below are the projected starting lineups for each team playing on Tuesday'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

7:30 p.m. ET Update: Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic have been cleared to play Tuesday. Tyler Herro will suit up for the Heat.

7 p.m. ET Update: Derrick Rose has been ruled out for Tuesday's matchup against the Detroit Pistons. Killian Hayes has also been ruled out of that game.

Kristaps Porzingis will sit with a sore toe and Tim Hardaway Jr. has entered the league's health and safety protocols.

Damian Lillard has dealt with various injuries this season, but a tight right hamstring has landed him on the injury report ahead of Tuesday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Lillard is officially listed as questionable and has played heavy minutes (39.5) since returning from an abdominal injury.

Kristaps Porzingis is questionable to play Tuesday after injuring his toe on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Porzingis played 23 minutes before exiting mid-way through the third quarter and did not return.

Derrick Rose is listed as questionable for the New York Knicks ahead of their game against the Detroit Pistons as he nurses an ankle injury. Rose left the Thursday's Rockets-Knicks game with the injury and sat out against the Boston Celtics Saturday.

Tyler Herro is again listed as questionable with a right quad injury that has forced him out of the past three Miami Heat games.

Projected Starting Lineups

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. ET)

Pacers Projected Lineup

PG – Malcolm Brogdon
SG – Justin Holiday
SF – Caris LeVert
PF – Domantas Sabonis
C – Myles Turner

Injury news: Nothing new

Heat Projected Lineup

PG – Kyle Lowry
SG – Gabe Vincent
SF – Duncan Robinson
PF – KZ Okpala
C – Dewayne Dedmon

Injury news: Tyler Herro (Quad) is probable; PJ Tucker (Knee) and Jimmy Butler (Tailbone) are out; Caleb Martin (COVID Protocols) is out

Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET)

Pistons Projected Lineup

PG – Cory Joseph
SG – Hamidou Diallo
SF – Cade Cunningham
PF – Saddiq Bey
C – Isaiah Stewart

Injury news: Killian Hayes (Illness) and Jerami Grant (Thumb) is out

Knicks Projected Lineup

PG – Kemba Walker
SG – Alec Burks
SF – Evan Fournier
PF – Julius Randle
C – Nerlens Noel

Injury news: Derrick Rose (Ankle) is out; Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox and Miles McBride are in the league’s health and safety protocols

Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8 p.m. ET)

Trail Blazers Projected Lineup

PG – Damian Lillard
SG – Norman Powell
SF – Robert Covington
PF – Larry Nance Jr.
C – Jusuf Nurkic

Injury news: Damian Lillard (Hamstring) and Jusuf Nurkic (Ribs) are available; Nassir Little (Illness), CJ McCollum (Lung) and Cody Zeller (Quad) are out

Pelicans Projected Lineup

PG – Devonte' Graham
SG – Brandon Ingram
SF – Josh Hart
PF – Herbert Jones
C – Jonas Valanciunas

Injury news: Nothing new

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks (8:30 p.m. ET)

Timberwolves Projected Lineup

PG – D'Angelo Russell
SG – Jaylen Nowell
SF – Malik Beasley
PF – Jaden McDaniels
C – Karl-Anthony Towns

Injury news: Patrick Beverley, Taurean Prince, Jarred Vanderbilt, Josh Okogie and Anthony Edwards are in the league’s health and safety protocols

Mavericks Projected Lineup

PG – Jalen Brunson
SG – Trey Burke
SF – Sterling Brown
PF – Dorian Finney-Smith
C – Dwight Powell

Injury news: Kristaps Porzingis (Toe), Willie Cauley-Stein (Personal) and Luka Doncic (Ankle) are out; Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber and Josh Green are in the league’s health and safety protocols

Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET)

Suns Projected Lineup

PG – Chris Paul
SG – Devin Booker
SF – Mikal Bridges
PF – Jae Crowder
C – Deandre Ayton

Injury news: Nothing new

Lakers Projected Lineup

PG – Isaiah Thomas
SG – Russell Westbrook
SF – Wayne Ellington
PF – LeBron James
C – DeAndre Jordan

Injury news: Dwight Howard (Health and Safety) and Talen Horton-Tucker (Health and Safety) are available; LeBron James (Abdominal) and Trevor Ariza (Ankle) are probable; Anthony Davis (Knee) is out; Avery Bradley, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves are in the league’s health and safety protocols

Washington Wizards vs. Brooklyn Nets (PPD)

This game has been postponed due to the number of players currently in the league's health and safety protocols.

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