Kevin Durant had COVID-19 last March, yet he has been one of the players most impacted by the league's preventative measures against it so far this season. The Brooklyn Nets star missed three games in January due to the league's health and safety protocols, and mere minutes before tipoff against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, he was held out yet again. This time, he underwent contact tracing that prevented him from starting, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews. While Durant himself did not need to undergo further testing, someone that he came into contact with did.
Fortunately for the Nets, the issue was settled in the first quarter. That person received further testing and Durant was allowed to enter the game off of the bench. It was the first time in Durant's career that he played in a game that he did not start.
The NBA's health and safety protocols make no distinction between players that have already have COVID-19 and those that haven't. If rules are violated, players are held out as a precaution against spreading the virus. The Nets, as a team, have not had any games postponed due to the coronavirus, nor have any of their best players missed significant court time due to the virus this season.
Durant's absence forced the Nets to start Bruce Brown in his place against a suddenly resurgent Raptors team that has won seven of its last 11 games after starting the season at the bottom of the standings. The Nets entered Friday tied with the Milwaukee Bucks two games behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets have had a turbulent start to the season thanks to Kyrie Irving's unplanned absence and the depth lost in the James Harden trade, so every regular-season game counts. Losing even eight minutes of Durant was less than ideal for a Nets team that has already had to overcome so much adversity this season. Durant entered the game with Brooklyn down nine points, a meaningful gap, but hardly an insurmountable one. Fortunately, the problem was solved with enough time left to give the Nets a chance.
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February 06, 2021 at 08:15AM
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COVID-19 protocols force Nets' Kevin Durant to come off the bench for the first time in his career - CBS Sports
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