Nunn expected to exit quarantine Wednesday
Miami Heat rookie guard Kendrick Nunn is scheduled to be cleared from self-isolation quarantine Wednesday by the NBA, provided he continues to produce negative COVID-19 test results.
Nunn left the league’s Disney World bubble setting last week because of a personal matter, returning late Saturday night. He then was subject to quarantine, with the length of that isolation based on testing while away, test results, as well the extent of exposure to others.
The timing could have Nunn available for Wednesday’s 8 p.m. game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, although the lack of court time in these intervening days could stall that return until Friday’s 4 p.m. game against the Indiana Pacers, the Heat’s final regular-season game in the “seeding” round.
The Heat then will be off over the weekend, before the NBA playoffs open Monday.
Nunn missed Saturday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns and Monday’s victory over the Pacers.
Rookie Tyler Herro started in place of Nunn on Saturday, with veteran point guard Goran Dragic starting in his place Monday.
Nunn has started all 66 of his appearances, having yet to play as a reserve in his NBA career, after doing so almost exclusively so in 2018-19 in the G League with the Golden State Warriors’ affiliate.
The Heat on Monday got Jimmy Butler back from a threegame absence due to a foot issue, and Dragic back from a twogame absence due to an ankle sprain.
Guard Duncan Robinson said getting Butler and Dragic back was a positive step, as the team now waits on Nunn, who is one of three finalists for NBA Rookie of the Year.
“It’s huge,” Robinson said of having Butler and Dragic back. “Their leadership, their temperament out there, they keep us relaxed and they’re guys that we can count on with the ball in their hands to make plays for others and score. It definitely changes the dynamic of this team when we know we’re healthy.
“And we’re getting back to it. We’re still a man down with Kendrick not being here, but we’re continuing to try to grow.”
Nunn has missed five games this season, with the Heat 2-3 in those games. He missed three games in late January due to Achilles soreness.
In addition, he joined teammates nearly two weeks late after positive coronavirus results prior to the Heat’s July 8 departure for the league’s Disney campus.
Alley and oop
Dragic and Derrick Jones Jr. showed again Monday how they stand as an elite alley-oop combination, with Dragic several times setting up Jones at the rim.
“It’s nothing new for us,” Dragic said. “Me and D-Jones got a great connection the whole season. He’s setting great screens, and from there on, I just need to read the situation. It’s not the first time that we got the lob, but he’s such a great player who puts a lot of pressure on the rim and that’s what opens shots for us or layups or dunks.”
Dragic closed the game with nine assists, Jones with 18 points.
“If you look at the footage, nine times out of 10, most of my lobs come from Goran,” Jones said. “That’s the chemistry we already built throughout the summer and coming into this year. So it’s working for us.”