HARD' PRESSED
Missing Beard & Co., Nets turn to ex-Knick Galloway to 10-day deal
The Nets didn’t lose any more players on Wednesday to the COVID-19 safety and protocols list.
After Tuesday’s stunning events — they were down seven players for their come-from-behind overtime win over the Raptors — that has to be considered progress. In fact, they even were in the process of adding a player, bringing in former Knick Langston Galloway, according to ESPN, to potentially give them nine available players for Thursday’s game against the 76ers at Barclays Center.
They will, however, play shorthanded, as LaMarcus Aldridge, James Harden, Bruce Brown, DeAndre’ Bembry, Jevon Carter, James Johnson and Paul Millsap were all ruled out as they remain in the protocol. A vaccinated player who tests positive for the virus can typically return following a 10-day quarantine or with two negative tests 24 hours apart.
Those absences forced the Eastern Conference-leading Nets (20-8) to get creative on Tuesday. Undrafted rookie David Duke Jr. started. Kevin Durant, who was uncertain to even play with a sore ankle, logged 48 minutes. Second-round pick Kessler Edwards played 44 minutes, 32 more than he had played all season.
“I try not to get too up and down about it,” coach Steve Nash said. “Just let all the information come in, kind of get a handle on what’s coming down the pipeline and what decisions will have to be made and just be calm . ... As far as coaches, we just try to stay calm and our attitude was let’s pump these guys up. Let’s show them we’re gonna have a great time tonight regardless of who’s in the lineup and who’s not, and we have belief and confidence in you guys and we want you to have a blast out there and compete and leave it all out there.
“So that’s kind of where we put our focus, rather than what’s happening, who’s going to be in or out. Let’s just make sure this is a positive approach and a spirited approach and we give them belief.”
The Nets began the process of looking to add bodies by talking to Galloway about a 10-day hardship exception contract on Wednesday. That would leave them with four more such deals to offer. More additions seem likely, as the Nets have three home games in the span of four days.
The 6-foot-2 journeyman guard, who spent the first two years of his career with the Knicks, gives them a ninth player. The 30-year-old Galloway had just inked a deal with the Hawks’ G-League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, after being cut by the Warriors during training camp.
He appeared in 40 games off the bench last year for the Suns, but was much more effective the previous year with the Pistons when he averaged 10.3 points and shot 39.9 percent from 3-point range.
The Nets will be getting the 76ers on the second night of a back-toback, and Philadelphia likely won’t have forward Georges Niang, who was unavailable Wednesday against the Heat after entering the health and safety protocols. The 76ers know what the Nets are going through. They had four players miss a combined 27 games last month due to positive COVID-19 tests.
“I can’t wait for the rest of the guys to get back. We miss them all,” Durant said. “It’s weird not having them all in the locker room.”