Kevin Durant, who was eventually pulled from last night’s game against the Toronto Raptors due to COVID-19 contact tracing, will be eligible to rejoin the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, head coach Steve Nash said.
The quarantine period means Durant will miss tonight’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, as well as games against the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. The earliest he will be eligible to play is next Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
Prior to last night’s game against the Raptors, Durant was reportedly exposed three times to a Nets employee who tested positive for COVID-19, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, during which Durant and the employee were believed not to be wearing facemasks.
The risk of exposure led to the former MVP being pulled from Brooklyn’s lineup just prior to tip-off while contact tracing was conducted. Durant was initially allowed to return to the bench in the first quarter, and took the floor briefly before being pulled for the final time in the third, after the results of the contact tracing were received.
While the final minutes of Friday’s game ticked by without him, Durant tweeted out the words, “Free Me,” as well as another statement critiquing the league’s handling of his situation.
Kyrie Irving is also out against the 76ers due to a right index finger sprain.
Irving played the entirety of the game against Toronto. This will be the ninth contest he’s missed this season.
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