Mavs big man Kristaps Porzingis enters health and safety protocols

Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and has been ruled out for Monday’s game vs. Denver, the team announced Monday.

The Mavericks got good news over the weekend, as Luka Doncic was cleared to play for the first time since December 10 and led the team to a win in Oklahoma City on Sunday. But now Porzingis is at risk of missing a few games due to the health and safety protocols, and he’s not the only Mav affected. Porzingis joins Trey Burke, Boban Marjanovic, JaQuori McLaughlin and Isaiah Thomas in protocols. 

Porzingis is averaging 20.6 points, eight rebounds and 2.3 assists this season.

Here’s more COVID-related news from around the NBA:

• Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is no longer in the health and safety protocols, acting head coach Mike Wilks said Monday, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports. Gilgeous-Alexander only entered the protocols on Saturday, so he may have registered a false positive test.
• Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, who had been in the COVID-19 protocols since last Tuesday, was able to practice Monday, per head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, via Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
• Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas has cleared the protocols and will be available for Monday’s game against Utah, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
• Damion Lee and James Wiseman have exited the protocols for the Warriors, per the NBA’s injury report. Wiseman remains sidelined while he recovers from right knee surgery, but Lee is no longer on the injury report at all, and Golden State doesn’t have any players in the protocols.
• After briefly clearing the protocols, Hornets forward P.J. Washington reentered them on Sunday, according to the team. He’ll miss Monday’s game vs. Washington.
• Lonzo Ball and Alfonzo McKinnie of the Bulls have both exited the health and safety protocols and will be available to play on Monday vs. Orlando, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
• Nets rookie Kessler Edwards is no longer in the COVID-19 protocols, according to the NBA’s injury report. Brooklyn was hit hard by an outbreak in December but currently has no players affected.
• Lakers assistant David Fizdale, who briefly served as the club’s acting head coach during Frank Vogel‘s stint in the protocols, has now entered the protocols himself, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.