Kevin Durant was a last-minute zero from the first team, then inserted into the Brooklyn game on Friday night and finally pulled forever, all due to the contact tracking of COVID-19. It is not the first time that the Nets star has wasted time on coronavirus protocols, and he could again.
The NBA uses the term health and safety protocols, but in essence, someone Durant came into contact with tested positive for coronavirus. And the contact that followed wreaked havoc on the Nets’ game against Toronto visitors – and could have a prolonged impact on the attack, too, if Durant were to be quarantined.
Durant will not be traveling with the team to Philadelphia on Saturday, according to ESPN.
Durant had COVID-19 in May, after the 2019-20 NBA season was suspended, but before the Orlando bubble or his return from Achilles surgery.
Then, last month, Durant ended up having to observe a seven-day quarantine and miss three consecutive games – Utah, Philadelphia and Memphis – due to exposure to someone who had tested positive for coronavirus.
Durant has tested negative for COVID-19 and recently tested positive for antibodies. But as the league’s COVID-19 protocols do not differentiate between players who have antibodies and those who do not, Durant was not exempt and ended up having to stay out.
This could come back to haunt the Nets. Durant was scheduled to start on Friday against Toronto, but Brooklyn announced at 7:38 pm – about two minutes before the line-up announcement – that he would not be available to start.
Durant himself did not take another COVID test. There were additional tests for who he contacted, along with clarification of the contact tracking procedures for this instance with the NBA. The league ended up paying and determined that he was free to play, and he checked in the game replacing James Harden with 4:13 left in the first quarter and Brooklyn losing 26-17.
Still, Durant’s night didn’t last long: 19 minutes, to be exact.
Durant, who also received two charges and was whistled for his fifth foul chasing the lost ball at 9:06 from the end of the third period. Nets coach Steve Nash challenged the decision and managed to overturn, but Durant – who had gone to the bench – ended up being left out of the game by health and safety protocols.
In the end, Durant finished with eight points, six rebounds and five assists. It was the first time that he failed to break double digits since February 28, 2017, when he registered only 1:33 for Golden State. It remains to be seen whether Durant will have to be quarantined again or for how long.