The NBA had to scramble to ensure the holding of all Christmas matches, due to the multiplication of players placed by their teams in “Covid protocol”. Thus, if the shock for the supremacy of the West and of the league, between its two leaders, Phoenix and Golden State (11 p.m. French time), will be the meeting least affected by absences, the other franchises have had to deal with many absences.
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The new regulations – contracts of 10 additional days authorized due to the health crisis, relaxation of the protocol for the return of positive players – allowed the maintenance of the gala evening, but it will be held from the outset without two of the main candidates MVP, Luka Doncic whose Dallas Mavericks visit Rudy Gobert’s Utah Jazz, and Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn superstar, whose Nets travel to the floor of the LA Lakers.
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G-League season postponed to January 5
“Am I looking forward to playing one of these great Christmas matches?” No. Too many absent players ”, sliced LeBron James, whose Angelenos have a wagon of players (plus their coach Frank Vogel) in the protocol box (plus Anthony Davis injured), to the point of calling on Isaiah Thomas, former star leader of the Celtics with a career hampered by a persistent hip injury. The Milwaukee champions record for their part one of the rare good news of the evening: the return of double MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the workforce for the reception of Boston. Atlanta, also decimated – not Trae Young, Danilo Gallinari … – will be able to count on his Swiss interior Clint Capela.
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One of the consequences of the dozens of cases that have occurred in the North American league, and the massive use of G-League players – including great alumni like Joe Johnson (40) or Lance Stephenson …-, has was the announcement of the postponement to January 5 of the kickoff of the league of reserve teams of the NBA. “The regular season, which was scheduled to start on December 27, will begin on January 5. This postponement will allow players to return safely after the Christmas holidays and to relaunch their workforce after calls from NBA teams ”, the NBA explained in a statement Friday.
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24 out of 30 franchises affected by Covid
According to the latest figures released on Saturday by the NBA, 24 of the 30 franchises are facing cases of Covid within their workforce. The Brooklyn Nets must do without nine players, including Durant, Kyrie Irving and LaMarcus Aldridge, but will find the third branch of their major trident, James Harden. The Nets, too diminished, have not replayed since December 18 and a home defeat against Orlando (93-100). Three of their matches – Denver, Washington, Portland – have been postponed.
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16
LeBron James will play with the LA Lakers his 16th Christmas game. He joins Kobe Bryant in this ranking, and with 383 points on the clock on December 25, only needs 13 points to pass the former LA Lakers fullback as the best in the history of the traditional holiday gala game.
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