The Utah Jazz’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets scheduled for Tuesday night will likely be a little easier than previously thought, as the Nets announced Monday that All-Star Kevin Durant will miss the game because of COVID-19 protocols.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that Durant is facing a seven-day quarantine after being exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Durant himself tested positive in May and has continued to test negative since being exposed, but according to Wojnarowski, NBA rules say players must be placed in quarantine after exposure to the novel coronavirus, regardless of whether or not they’ve previously tested positive for it.
After missing all of last season because of an Achilles injury he suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals while with the Golden State Warriors, Durant has been excellent in the early portion of this season, as he is averaging 28.2 points per game, which puts him in a tie for fourth in the league with Atlanta’s Trae Young.
The Nets (3-4) are scheduled to play four games in the next week. They have already experienced major injury this season, as Spencer Dinwiddie tore his right ACL last week. Nicolas Claxton will also be out because of a right knee injury.
Derrick Favors is the only player on the Jazz’s injury report for Tuesday, with the right knee soreness that he’s had throughout the young season being the listed reason.