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NEW YORK — James Harden and Bruce Brown have entered the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the Nets announced roughly an hour before Tuesday night’s game at Barclays Center against the Toronto Raptors.
The two additions brought the team’s total to seven players ruled out due to the protocols within the past day. Forward Paul Millsap entered them Monday, and was followed by forwards LaMarcus Aldridge, James Johnson, DeAndre’ Bembry and guard Jevon Carter earlier Tuesday.
Coach Steve Nash said a “couple” of both coaches and staff members have also entered the protocols.
“We’re not naive enough to not have concerns about more people contracting the virus, but that’s out of our hands,” Nash said shortly before the Harden and Brown announcement.
“We just have to see what the protocols are. We can’t do a lot right now except wait for results to come in and control what’s in our hands, so we’re in a sense playing the waiting game, and in a sense gonna be ready to audible depending on what happens.”
Nash noted that “predominantly” all of the players who had tested positive had been asymptomatic.
Harden walked into Barclays Center about an hour before it was announced he had entered the protocols. Brown, meanwhile, was out on the court warming up before the game.
To clear the league’s health and safety protocols, a player must either be out for a minimum of 10 days, or return two negative PCR tests at least 24 hours apart.
Kevin Durant, who had been questionable to face Toronto due to right ankle soreness, was cleared to play by the team’s doctors, giving the Nets eight available players for the game: Nic Claxton, David Duke Jr., Kessler Edwards, Blake Griffin, Patty Mills, Day’Ron Sharpe, Cam Thomas and Durant.
Brooklyn remains without Joe Harris (left ankle surgery) and Kyrie Irving (failure to meet New York City’s vaccination requirements).
The Nets faced the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 4. The Bulls were just starting a stretch in which…
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Source : espn
