Westbrook, Antetokounmpo and Harden, on the NBA’s coronavirus protocol
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook joined a group of NBA figures entered this week into the coronavirus protocol on Thursday, while the league decided reinforce prevention measures during the upcoming holidays. Before Westbrook, fellow MVP Giannis award winners Antetokounmpo (Bucks) y James Harden (Nets) were temporarily removed from their teams in the last days. In addition to the 33-year-old point guard and nine-time All-Star, the Lakers have Four other players on the COVID-19 casualty list: Avery Bradley, Malik Monk, Dwight Howard y Talen Horton-Tucker. Westbrook, the team’s third leading scorer (19.6 points per game) behind LeBron James (26.1) and Anthony Davis (23.8), spent 42 minutes on the court on Wednesday in the Lakers’ overtime victory over the Mavericks in Dallas. The Los Angeles franchise, which ranks sixth in the Western Conference, will resume the competition on Friday against the Timberwolves in Minnesota.
Until now, a total of 52 players, In addition to technical veterans Rick Carlisle (Pacers) and Alvin Gentry (Kings), they have entered the protocol only in December, according to data from the ESPN network. The NBA suspended this week, for the first time of the season, two games for a coronavirus outbreak in the Chicago Bulls while other teams like the Brooklyn Nets have had to play with a minimum of eight players. To face this wave of cases, the league agreed on Thursday with the players union (NBPA) an upcoming reinforcement of prevention protocols. The NBA will apply daily tests to all players and personnel, with the exception of those who have received the booster vaccine or recently had the disease, between December 26 and January 8. So far the players fully vaccinated were not tested regular this season. Among other measures, the league will also demand the mandatory use of masks in training, parties and trips, in this case without exceptions.
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