An unambiguous phrase must be understood in all its breadth, which is as objective as it is tangible: the coronavirus has changed the world. For everything and everyone, from the highest levels of society to the smallest (with notable differences, obviously) and in all vital areas: work, sports, personal … Routines have been modified, leisure has been reduced and there is another way, and even the way of dressing, with a mask included , has been affected by a global pandemic that, in the NBA, it suspends games, postpones seasons, transforms calendars and is forced to prevent people from being in the stands. And all this has been perfectly summed up in a game in which madness has taken over everything.
The NBA announced that Kevin Durant was not going to take to the court against the Raptors because he was complying with health protocols, and Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski (of course) assured that the forward had been in contact with someone who was having trouble with an inconclusive test. The star had three negative PCRs, so he was allowed to enter with the game already started, thus giving rise to an unusual situation, since it was the first time in his NBA career that Durant was a substitute (866 games, all of them starting , Awesome). However, the close contact became such by testing positive and the League informed the player of this during the third quarter, forcing him to abandon the match again. This has provoked the indignation of Durant himself, who showed his anger in networks and asked to go out on track: “Free me“He prayed in English.”Set me free“In addition to ensuring that NBA fans are not stupid.
It is possible that the situation ends in controversy, either by allowing Durant to jump onto the court before knowing the result of his contact or by the tight control they have over some players not happy with the current situation, All Star included. The competition has prohibited Durant from traveling to Philadelphia to the next Nets game., although the rest of your team can. The situation was absolutely surreal and the star was visibly angry. That said, the player passed the coronavirus, but the League does not distinguish for tracking those who have passed it or not. In other words, whatever negative tests you have, you have to quarantine.
In madness, the Raptors won
To all this, Toronto took the game, the seventh of the last 11 after a start marked by doubts. He did so by taking advantage of the insanity generated by the Durant situation and thanks to the best version of Pascal Siakam, who goes growing (In three of his last four games he has exceeded thirty) and added 33 points (with 12 of 23 in field goals), 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. In addition, Broucher, Powell and VanVleet passed the ten. Oh, and a great game from the incombustible Kyle Lowry, another one: 30 + 5 + 7 + 2 for him, 34 years old but with more than 17 points and 7 assists on average, being the soul of a team, his, with which He touched glory in 2019 and of which he is an absolute spiritual leader. The Raptors received 40 points in the second quarter (Durant’s only complete, chance), but they recovered in the last, leaving the Nets in 27 and sentencing a very hard-fought duel that cost them to serve despite finding the locals without Durant.
In the Nets, things did not work out in the midst of a tidal wave of difficult explanation and very in line with the situation of the coronavirus, which in reality we still don’t explain ourselves. James Harden continues to act as playmaker, in substance and form, and went to 17 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists, but Kyrie was not the trigger this time and stayed at 15 points, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists but 7 losses, and only 12 attempted shots (0 of 4 in triples). In the fourth quarter, by the way, La Barba went to 4 points, while Irving scored … 0. Joe Harris went to 19 and was again a safe from the triple (5 of 8), while Bruce Brown , who started replacing Durant, scored 13, two less than Jeff Green and one more than Landry Shamet. And Durant, in 19 minutes, produced a lot: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and +10 with him on the court. Of course, a differential factor is. And the League will have to review what happened so that it does not happen again. Of course, the coronavirus has changed the world.
