Short-handed 76ers hit with virus, injuries as Ball makes NBA history
The Philadelphia 76ers opened the week with the best record in the NBA – and now face an uncertain future with a starting line-up fit for the pre-season.
Nikola Jokic had 15 points and 12 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets past Philadelphia 115-103 on Saturday, beating a 76ers team that had only seven available players.
"COVID created this but the concern is not COVID now," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. "The concern is injuries."
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets beat a severely undermanned 76ers side.Credit:Getty Images
The Sixers tipped without four regular starters – All-Stars Ben Simmons (sore left knee) and Joel Embiid (back) sat due to injury, and Seth Curry and Tobias Harris over virus concerns. Curry tested positive for the virus on Thursday, local time, and the ensuing contact tracing and COVID-19 health and safety protocols led to a slew of unavailable players.
The team met the minimum eight active players by including injured forward Mike Scott, who was not actually able to play.
Rivers said he didn't think the game should be played.
"We've got be very careful in how we navigate the next week," Rivers said.
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia's 2020 first-round pick out of Kentucky, scored 39 points in 44 minutes on 18 of 33 shooting in his first career start. Isaiah Joe had 13 points.
"I had to hunt my shot just a little more because it was needed," Maxey said.
Gary Harris scored 21 points for the Nuggets, who played without Michael Porter jnr (19.5 points per game) because of health and safety protocols.
Danny Green was the only regular in Philly's starting line-up, joined by back-ups Dakota Mathias, Dwight Howard, Joe and Maxey. Mathias and Joe also made their first career NBA starts. Mathias, Maxey and Joe all played at least 41 minutes.
"It was a good thing for the team even though I still hate losing," Rivers said.
The Sixers play on Monday (local time) in Atlanta, the first of five games in seven days, and the roster may not change much. Curry will miss five more games at least. Harris and reserves Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle and Vincent Poirier could miss at least a week because of the protocols.
"We don't know anything," Rivers said. "I don't know enough about any of this."
The team was forced to spend Friday in New York after playing at Brooklyn on Thursday and underwent additional testing before arriving back in Philadelphia at 1am – 14 hours before the afternoon tip-off.
"The last 36 hours have been nuts," Rivers said.
Sparked by Maxey, the undermanned, feisty Sixers stuck with Denver throughout the first half. Maxey scored on a fast-break dunk and Joe hit consecutive 3s to tie the game at 26. A 13.5-point favourite, the Nuggets led only 28-26 at the half before foul trouble caught up with Philadelphia.
The Nuggets were off to a slow start at 3-5 but got a chance to regroup against the Sixers and took control in the third. Harris hit two 3s, the Nuggets shot 68% (13 of 19) and outscored the Sixers 35-21.
"It seems like every time we get off to a good start and build a lead, we get kind of lax in our approach and allow teams to get back in the game rather quickly," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
Meanwhile, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has tested positive and Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal was sidelined due to exposure to Tatum.
Tatum, 22, tested positive for the coronavirus Friday, per the Boston Globe, and will enter a 10- to 14-day isolation period. The fourth-year forward is averaging 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists, and he will be sidelined for at least the next five games.
Bradley Beal defends against Jayson Tatum, who has since tested positive for COVID-19.Credit:Getty Images
In recent days, Boston has been without numerous players, including Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams and Grant Williams, because of the NBA's health protocols. The Celtics' injury report for Sunday's game against the Miami Heat listed five players, including Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as questionable, doubtful or out due to the league's health and safety protocols, and two others dealing with injuries. That could leave Boston with just eight active players.
Beal, 27, hasn't tested positive, but he was required to sit out against the Heat after exposure to Tatum when the Wizards visited the Celtics on Friday. Beal, who is averaging 35 points, five rebounds and 4.6 assists, and Tatum are close friends. The two St. Louis natives embraced and chatted on the court after Friday's game.
Elsewhere, LaMelo Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, as the Charlotte Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-105 for their third straight win.
The 19-year-old Ball replaced Markelle Fultz as the youngest NBA player to record a triple-double by 177 days.
Ball, who played in the NBL with the Hawks and was the third overall pick in the NBA draft, was nine of 13 from the field as the Hornets handed the struggling Hawks their fourth straight loss. He became only the fifth rookie in NBA history to record a triple-double and the first Hornets player ever to reach that plateau coming off the bench.
Terry Rozier scored 23 points for the Hornets.
AP with The Washington Post