After 14 minutes of play in the first half, Jonas Valanciunas, the Memphis Grizzlies center, did not return for the second half of Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets due to health and safety protocols, the team said.
Valanciunas, a starter who scored 8 points and took 4 rebounds, did not register a positive coronavirus test, a grizzly official told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“As soon as we got a report in talks with the league, we had to take him out of the game from an excess of caution and include him in the health and safety protocol,” said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “The great thing is he’s not positive, but it’s an abundance of caution. We had to make that move immediately, and a great execution by our executive staff, security personnel, to get that word out and get him out of the game. get it. “
Valanciunas checked out of the game with 5:17 remaining in the second quarter. The Grizzlies held back a Nets comeback to win, 115-110. Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies with 24 points and Brandon Clarke added 21, while Caris LeVert threw in 43 for the Nets on 15-of-23 shots.
“You have to adapt and stay positive about it,” said Jenkins. “That’s one of the things we talked about with the team at the beginning of the year: how unique a season this is going to be. You have to be positive, adapt, stick to it and be together. . “
According to the competition’s protocols, if Valanciunas is held for contact tracking, he must be quarantined for seven days before being released to return if he continues to record negative tests, meaning he would miss at least three matches.
Over the past week, the NBA managed a number of players who missed games because of the protocols. Kevin Durant of The Nets has been out for the past week, Michael Porter Jr. of the Nuggets is out indefinitely, and three Dallas Mavericks were held after a positive test within the team. Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry recently had to leave mid game due to a positive test.
Valanciunas, 28, averaged 15.0 points and 11.4 rebounds in eight games on Friday.