Tonight in Cleveland, two teams dealing with major injury problems will face each other. The San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers are both missing many players. This contest will assess the strength and staying power of both teams’ lineups.

The Spurs have won seven of their last nine games despite missing their franchise player. The Cavaliers are trying to stabilize after a recent rough patch. The availability of remaining stars like Donovan Mitchell and De’Aaron Fox becomes even more critical.

Are Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox Playing Tonight? Latest Injury Report Spurs

Victor Wembanyama will not play for the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. The star big man is dealing with a left calf strain.

He has not played since a loss to the Golden State Warriors on November 14. The Spurs have not provided a timetable for his return.

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Wembanyama is averaging career bests of 26.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. His absence leaves a major gap in the team’s interior defense and scoring.

Rookie guard Stephon Castle is also out with a left hip flexor strain. He sustained the injury on November 16. Backup guard Jordan McLaughlin is out with a left hamstring strain.

Center Luke Kornet is listed as questionable for the game. He is managing left ankle soreness. Kornet has started in Wembanyama’s place and blocked a potential game-winning shot against Orlando on Wednesday.

Are Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland Playing Tonight? Latest Injury Report Cavs

Donovan Mitchell is expected to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The star guard is not listed on the injury report.

Mitchell is fourth in the NBA with a scoring average of 30.7 points per game. He also averages 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds.

Starting point guard Darius Garland will not play on Friday. He is out for injury management related to a toe issue. Garland has missed several games already this season.

Starting center Jarrett Allen is out with a right finger strain. The Cavaliers announced he is expected to miss at least one week. His absence weakens the team’s interior defense significantly.

Reserve big man Larry Nance Jr. is out with a right calf strain. An MRI revealed a Grade 1 soleus strain. He is expected to miss the next three to four weeks of action.

Spurs vs Cavs Predicted Starting Lineups

Based on the official injury reports, here are the projected starting lineups for Friday’s game.

*Kornet is questionable with an ankle issue. If he cannot play, Kelly Olynyk would likely start at center for San Antonio.

This season, De’Aaron Fox has been averaging 25.0 points and 6.3 assists. In the eight games out of nine played since Wembanyama got hurt, his score was at least 25 points.

Cleveland will depend on Evan Mobley to be the key player in the frontcourt. He is averaging 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Mobley is also a reigning Defensive Player of the Year.