Danny Ainge says he believes Celtics will play Friday
Danny Ainge, the Celtics GM, is optimistic that his team will be able to return to the court on Friday.
The Boston Celtics anticipate that their unexpected weeklong break due to coronavirus-related issues will conclude on Friday. On this day, they are scheduled to host a game against the Orlando Magic.
In a radio interview on Thursday, Danny Ainge, the general manager of the Celtics, stated, “it looks like we’re moving in the right direction.” This comes after three games that were scheduled to take place between Sunday and Wednesday were postponed due to some players testing positive for the virus, and others potentially exposed through contact tracing.
#NEBHInjuryReport continued (3/3):
Daniel Theis (Health & Safety Protocols) – QUESTIONABLE
Kemba Walker (Left Knee Injury Recovery) – OUT
Robert Williams (Health & Safety Protocols) – OUT— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 14, 2021
Across the league, eight games have been postponed since Sunday. The NBA is currently reviewing whether additional games, including a Saturday game in Phoenix and a Sunday game in Washington, will need to be postponed. Both the Suns and the Wizards were set to play on Friday, but their games were postponed due to contact tracing results indicating that neither team would have the required eight players available as per NBA regulations.
Ainge stated on 98.5 The Sports Hub, “I believe our players are all performing well. Some are also in contact tracing. All our players are in good shape, and it seems we will be able to play a match tomorrow. However, we still have 17 more tests to conduct before that.”
Ainge added, “Given the current state of our society, each of these tests leaves you on pins and needles.”
The Celtics last played on Jan. 8 in a game vs. the Wizards.
The NBA, which disclosed on Wednesday that 16 players tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, is likely to face more tests.
Danny Ainge tells @Toucherandrich he believes the Celtics will return to play tomorrow https://t.co/7Q2YnwWxfg
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) January 14, 2021
The Associated Press has obtained a memo from league officials informing teams about potential additional game-day testing for players and referees. The teams across all 28 NBA cities have been instructed to explore the availability of local labs capable of processing PCR tests swiftly. Should these extra tests be implemented, they would be carried out on game-day mornings and results should be available no later than one hour before the game starts.
The existing protocol of the league includes daily PCR tests for players and coaches as well as rapid tests on match days. The NBA informed the teams that a decision on additional testing may be made by the weekend. The league’s memo contents were first reported by ESPN.
If Boston’s week-long break concludes as planned on Friday, it would mark the longest hiatus in the NBA this season. Provided there are no additional game postponements on Thursday’s schedule, five teams: Portland, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Denver, and Indiana, would have participated in four games since the Celtics last played.
