Otherwise, he kept a respectful distance as Hammon led the group in huddles and handled rotations. Torontos effect on the NBAs coronavirus landscape is apparently larger than just two postponed games. Players and team staffwill not leave the campus absent extenuating circumstances. And No. Additionally, the NBAwill create an anonymous hotline to report potential violations of safety protocols in Orlando, according to The Athletic's Charania and Sam Amick. According the product's website, the mask "uses high-performance nano fabric. Thats your No. The news comes less than two weeks removed from commissioner Adam Silver's appearance on TNT's "Inside the NBA" in which Silver alluded to potentially having certain coaches not be able to serve as bench coaches. Suit jackets or sport coats will not be required as was the case in the bubble, when most coaches wore polo shirts and many said they preferred that option. Inactive players have been required to wear masks for the duration of the game, and that rule remains unchanged. The league also told teams Monday it has increased the maximum travel party size by one. Before the season, it outlined an 158-page health and safety protocols in hopes to account for teams playing in home arenas, flying on private planes and visiting hotels. Doc Rivers: Joel Embiid shot a bit today after shootaround but still hasnt progressed to running. Warriors star Stephen Curry sits on the bench during a recent game. MIAMI For NBA coaches, masks are required this season. And then two, we want to continue to use our platform to make people aware that masks can and do make a difference. The team will allow 1,500 ticketed fans starting on Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, not including suites that can be filled to 25 per cent capacity. Players and assistant coaches are still required to wear masks on the sidelines. But now, Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni, 69, and New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, 65, are also known as the first NBA coaches to wear masks while coaching a game, out of safety . All rights reserved. Theres a light at the end of the tunnel with coronavirus rates falling as the weather warms and vaccination rates rising as supply increases. In the bubble, the league did not require head coaches as well as players on the court and on the bench to wear masks during games. SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Mark Medina recently attended the first real basketball action since the league shut down, but what stood out was the hi-tech, creative design of everything off the court. I was fine with it.. Did you encounter any technical issues? The biggest change, though, is the masks, a decision made with safety in mind as the coronavirus pandemic rages on and NBA teams prepare to play in arenas again for the first time since last season was suspended on March 11 when Utah center Rudy Gobert tested positive. I do it for my players. Durant, who had coronavirus in May, tested negative in recent days, the person told AP. The rules reset at halftime; players who arent in the game to start the third quarter need to wear masks until going into the game. NBA bubble: What do teams think of playing in front of virtual fans? RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Monday's 2-game slate of NBA playoff matchups. While Dallas went 5-11 when Doni and Irving played together, this catastrophic season had begun long before Irvings arrival. Distribution and use of this material are governed by MIAMI (AP) The NBA is adopting a tougher policy regarding masks, telling teams Monday that players on the active roster will have to wear the face coverings in the bench area until they enter games. Jimmy Butler hurt his ankle with 5:05 to go. We got embarrassed the other night, and we never f****** going out like that.'. Once he did that, you have no choice but to rise up. Now, masks are a mandate for all coaches, regardless of age. Players and assistant coaches are still required to wear masks on the sidelines. The NBA will begin requiring players to wear KN95 or KF94 masks in all instances where masks are required (i.e. Erik Spoelstra said he hopes the move by coaches will further normalize mask-wearing among the public. Its not just a game-night rule. Therefore, the NBA said the league and the National Basketball Players Association planned to talk Monday about modifying health and safety protocols. "As the true MVPs of our community, we want to honour and thank our healthcare heroes for all they have done during these challenging times," Suns president and chief executive officer Jason Rowley said in a statement. The KN95 and KF94 masks are similar and come close to the filtration found in N95 masks, that are reserved for medical professionals. Thats why I continued to wear masks during the playoffs, during the finals, even when we were not required to wear them during our media sessions, Spoelstra told The Associated Press. The Toronto coaches who didnt properly mask up disrespected those close to them. 2, be alert and follow the protocols. But if you work at it you have a chance.. Youre making a commitment to do whatever it takes. The decision on coaches wearing masks comes not long afterthe league and the National Basketball Players Association decided on health and safety protocols for the coming season,including how teams that do not comply with league rules designed to minimize the spread of the coronavirus could face major penalties such as forfeiting games or draft picks. With the COVID-19 vaccine rollout underway in the U.S., and the CDC's guidelines updated, the NBA has done the same. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Flipboard (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), NBA playoffs first round results, schedule, times and where to watch, Nick Nurse fired as Raptors coach after team misses playoffs, Grizzlies Jaren Jackson Jr. named Defensive Player of the Year, Three things to watch: 76ers vs. Celtics revolves around Embiids health. NBA Teams Are Wearing Masks. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns will allow a limited number of fans to attend games for the first time this season, starting with a special invitation to healthcare workers on Sunday. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. To acquire him would require jettisoning several deadline acquisitions who have helped revitalize their season and land them in a second-round series against the Golden State Warriors. Weve been doing a really solid job of that.. This isnt a surprise, but its certainly not good news for Philadelphia. Duringthis week's talks, the NBA might try to exert even more control. When youre talking about increasing your roster size for guys that arent even in the league, I dont know what that does. The easy answer is Give us more players, give us more active players. But I think the NBA looks at it as the more people we put into this group, the more likely somebody is going to get (the virus), Walton said. There is a similar variety of masks on the faces of every player and coach on the sideline. In addition to the four postponed games,two games featured a team with only eight healthy players, the minimum to still play a game. The NBA preseason begins Friday and the regular season starts Dec. 22. Coronavirus: NBA to mandate players wear KN95 or KF94 masks, All done! Its an incredible amount of work to not get COVID. The NBCA discussed the changes in a call with the league Tuesday night, and some teams will begin traveling for preseason games Thursday. Head coaches must keep their face masks on during warmups before the game, during halftime and again during warmups before the third quarter. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Copyright 2023 SPH Media Limited. Still, the NBA and its players have no intention with canceling or postponing the season. Buy on FOCO $25. For it to happen because Raptors coaches didnt properly wear masks is unacceptable. All other staff have to wear masks during team practices. And they cannot take public transportation, including Uber. But lets just be honest. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. For NBA coaches, masks are required this season. You have reached your limit of subscriber-only articles this month. It was not subtle. NBA referees will not be required to wear masks, according to The Athletic. Players have gotten coronavirus at significantly higher rates while away from their teams. Alas, the athletic pants athleisure is the term the NBA uses must be shelved for game nights this season. His status for Game 2 on Wednesday is up in the air, but 76ers coach Doc Rivers said Embiid has not run yet on this knee. The Knicks will get Julius Randle back at some point this series his status for Game 2 also is unknown due to a sprained left ankle and they become much more formidable with him. Coronavirus testing is expected to begin June 23 and continue into the campus environment. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8, Continue reading your article witha WSJ subscription, Already a subscriber? Im doing it because I think its the right thing to do.. And No. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Knicks to only sell semifinals tickets to vaccinated fans, NBA outlines health and safety protocols for 2020-21 season, First-half NBA schedule: List of games for all 30 teams, Things you need to know about the 2020-21 NBA season, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: May 1, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for May 1. Who was the MVP in each first-round series? Youve got to work extremely hard to try to stay out of harms way and there are never any guarantees. If the players need to sit out, you have to sit them out. The San Antonio Spurs wore four different uniforms over the first month of the NBA season. Its important to Houston and a lot of the country. Boston team likely able to put up points in this series. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory and a commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series. As reported by ESPN's Zach Lowe, players and team staff will be given the option to use a wearable ring that tracks heartrate, respiration rate and other variables. The 76ers need big offensive games from James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and others to keep up with a Boston team likely able to put up points in this series. Theyre just going to tighten up some things in terms of testing for people in households and things of that nature, said Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. Prepare your mind and body for this opportunity we have. But this is probably just the start one last rough stretch for the NBA. And no matter how close Irving might be to James, the Lakers are disinterested in pursuing him in free agency, say league sources, who like all unnamed sources in this article were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. All head coaches will still be tested daily for Covid-19, regardless of vaccination status. FantasyPros considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Monday's 2-game slate of NBA playoff matchups. It also released the first half of the seasons schedule through March 4 in case it needed to reschedule postponed games. Alas, the athletic pants athleisure is the term the NBA uses must be shelved for game nights this season. Now, masks are a mandate for all coaches, regardless of age. But Popovich wore a mask on the bench during those games. Its not like we can look forward to next weeks games or a certain road trip. They did so at 10% capacity, and are reportedly looking into increasing their capacity with unvaccinated and vaccinated sections. .css-16c7pto-SnippetSignInLink{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;}Sign In, Copyright 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I think they might, Gentry said. Kevin Durant out vs. Jazz due to health and safety protocols, Like teams, NBA refs have new health, safety protocols, NBA outlines health and safety protocols for 2020-21 season, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: May 1, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for May 1. Who was the MVP in each first-round series? If they can play, they can play. If players are working with trainers or therapists away from the team facility, theyre also being reminded to wear masks and take all possible precautions. Durant is averaging 28.2 points over six games for the Nets, who are off to a 3-4 start. The device reportedly features an "illness probability score" that would indicate if a player might be at greater risk of contracting coronavirus or has it. The league, with limited exceptions, also will require coaches to wear masks at all times inside their team facility, while traveling and during practices. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. Still, President Donald Trump has often refused to wear amask in publicand several local governments and businesses have had mixed results in getting people to wear them. Meanwhile, a person with knowledge of the situation said Durant will have to complete a seven-day quarantine, which would also rule him out of three additional games at home against Philadelphia on Thursday, at Memphis on Friday and home again to play Oklahoma City on Sunday. Even with the NBA's frequent testing, coronavirus can infiltrate a team. And that started before they even boarded the bus. We dont know whats going to happen. It's asign of growing optimism the league can return to where they once were. Embrace the moment.. "We're thrilled to welcome fans back to Phoenix Suns Arena. Series preview: What to expect in Warriors-Lakers, 5 takeaways from Warriors' Game 7 victory. It is the latest effort by the league to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 among players, coaches and staff. All Rights Reserved. Stephen Curry won Game 7 by dropping 50 points on the Kings Sunday. At the same time, were not in a bubble anymore., Follow every game: Latest NBA Scores and Schedules. In addition to daily COVID-19 tests, enforced social-distancing and mask-wearing rules, the NBA could keep its teams out of harm's way since they stayed in the same location without anywhere . Jackets are not. Here are some common questions and answers about the format, rules, scheduling, structure and health protocols of the 2020-21 NBA season. The NBA said in the memo that head coaches will be allowed to take masks off once pre-game introductions conclude until halftime, and again once the first horn sounds before the start of the second half until the end of the game. The Philadelphia 76ers played against Denver on Saturday with only seven healthy players after making previously injured forward Mike Scott available on the active roster. 4:08 PM EDT, Sat May 22, 2021. That has not always been enough. 202120748H. Draymond Green talked about it on his podcast. According. After an even first half, Curry and the Warriors pulled away in the third quarter and went on to a comfortable 20-point win. That memo, obtained by The Associated Press, was released on the same day the Brooklyn Nets ruled All-Star forward Kevin Durant out for Tuesdays game against Utah in accordance with the leagues health and safety protocols for dealing with coronavirus. The league's oldest active coach has sported two colors of surgical masks, a fabric mask and one of the white KN95 masks that many experts now . But this is a troubling outcome with Toronto. Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. Since the 2020-21 season began, the league has seen four postponed games because of diminished rosters stemming from positive tests and contact tracing.

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