Grizzlies lose Valanciunas to COVID-19 protocols
It was inevitable the COVID-19 pandemic would be a side story to whatever the Grizzlies – or the NBA - hoped to accomplish this season.
The Grizzlies saw that firsthand when guard De'anthony Melton missed four games due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. It happened again Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets when center Jonas Valanciunas left the bench in the second quarter with 41 seconds left.
The team announced before the second half that he was out due to health and safety protocols. Gorgui Dieng took his place to start the third quarter after sitting for all but 0.8 seconds in the first half.
After the Grizzlies' 115-110 win at Fedexforum, coach Taylor Jenkins said
Valanciunas did not test positive for COVID-19 which suggests the departure was related to contact tracing.
"As soon as we got notification in conversations from the league, we had to pull him from the game, you know, abundance of caution" Jenkins said.
Although the Grizzlies' first home win came with a cost, it saw them rally with yet another starter out.
Melton hit a corner 3-pointer to put the Grizzlies (3-6) up 111-104 with 1:07 left.
Desmond Bane put the game away with two free throws with 6.1 seconds left, atoning for a missed potential game-tying 3-pointer Thursday against the Cavaliers.
Brandon Clarke, who said Thursday he needed to be more aggressive, had 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Dillon Brooks added a teamhigh 24 points as the Grizzlies ended a
three-game losing streak.
The effort was needed as the Nets (5-5) rallied from an 18-point deficit due to Caris Levert's 19 third-quarter points. Levert finished with 43 points as the Nets played without Kevin Durant (COVID-19 protocols) and Kyrie Irving (personal reasons)
But after losing several players to injuries this season, including Ja Morant, the Grizzlies looked prepared to adjust to another departure.
"There's so many variables that can happen, especially now with this whole thing and protocols and like that," said Melton, who had 14 points.. "Everybody really has to stay ready now because players are going down three to four at a time so you never know what can happen."
The Nets saw that Thursday against Philadelphia when 76ers guard Seth Curry had to leave the bench after he tested positive for COVID-19.
The Nets had no positive tests ahead of Friday's game and no additional players entered health and safety protocols.
Players are tested twice a day for COVID-19 with a PCR saliva test that returns results in 12-16 hours and a rapid test that returns results within 30-40 minutes.
If Valanciunas follows Melton's timeline, he's expected to miss at least 7-9 days due to quarantine. The Grizzlies start a three-game road trip Monday in Cleveland .
Valanciunas' face was displayed on the Fedexforum videoboard as the player previewing the next game. It also was a reminder that this season will be unpredictable as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
"You have to prepare for something like this to happen but you can't expect it, you can't be thinking about it all the time," said guard Grayson Allen, who had 10 points. "We're going to miss JV but you know we've had guys in and out so far of the rotation with injuries and guys missing games so it's always been next man up for that."