The Brooklyn Nets have the league-required eight available players to travel to California and play their Christmas Day game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Though Kevin Durant will likely be unavailable, head coach Steve Nash said Thursday that James Harden has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The Nets don't expect any of their players currently in protocols to come out in time for the game.
The Nets have had their last three scheduled games postponed when a COVID-19 outbreak put 10 of their players into protocols.
Nash said the team now has more than the required eight players to start a game.
Durant, the league's leading scorer, was placed in protocol last Saturday along with Kyrie Irving, a day after the Nets said they were bringing the point guard back to play in road games, with the exception of Toronto. There’s still time for him to return two negative tests 24 hours apart to be cleared, though Nash said the Nets weren’t expecting that.
Brooklyn (21-9) sits at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
