DeMar DeRozan enters health and safety protocols.
He set to miss games for Chicago Bulls.
Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan missed team’s 109-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets after he entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
DeRozan become the third Bulls player currently in the health and safety protocols, joining Coby White and Javonte Green, both of whom tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan is expected to get more information on DeRozan in other to know how long he will be sidelined.
“I know there’s probably a lot more questions about, ‘Is he positive, is he negative?’ I don’t even know yet,” Donovan said before Monday’s game.
“This is obviously coming from the league, and we’ll have more information going forward. This just transpired this afternoon, so I can’t really confirm or deny if it’s a false positive or is positive. I just don’t know right now.”
It is expected that players who test positive are required to miss at least 10 days unless they return multiple negative tests within 24-hour.
DeRozan was present at Bulls shootaround Monday morning before his test results was received in the afternoon.
In his absence, the shorthanded Bulls still picked up their fourth straight win despite playing without DeRozan for the first time this season, which prompted a call from Zach LaVine immediately after the game.
“I let him know we got his back,” said LaVine, who scored 32 points and dished out a season-high eight assists. “Fingers crossed for his test tomorrow. He’s in good spirits, feeling good. Definitely called him just to say what’s up to him and celebrate the win with him.”
The Bulls are fully vaccinated as a team, but due to recent outbreaks, they will test players multiple times per day for COVID-19, according to Donovan.
Chicago hosted the Hornets at the United Center last Monday before four Hornets players — LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Mason Plumlee and Jaden McDaniels — entered the league’s health and safety protocols over the weekend.
“It’s pretty clear from a national standpoint; forget the NBA, people that are vaccinated are getting COVID,” Donovan said. “That’s happened. I think because of the NBA being a small business, so to speak, with players that have got national recognition, you see it a lot more. But I think for people that have been vaccinated that are just out there as citizens, they’re testing positive too.
“I don’t think anybody’s under the premise of just because you’re going to be vaccinated that you have no chance of getting COVID. … It’s just what we’re all going through.”
In other to replace DeRozan in the lineup, a few players stepped up for Chicago Bull.
Rookie Ayo Dosunmu made his first career start, played 41 minutes and collected 11 points with eight assists. Both Lonzo Ball and Nikola Vucevic finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
“It’s a new team, man,” LaVine said. “I tried to say it at the beginning of the year. This isn’t last year.
“You’re not going to replace what [DeRozan] does, especially at the level of play that he’s playing at right now. Guys will step up and we can compete for each other and still be a really good team. I think we showed that tonight.”
