Lakers’ Dwight Howard, Talen Horton-Tucker exit COVID-10 protocols

LOS ANGELES — Finally, the Lakers are seeing their lawsuit number moving successful the close direction.

The squad learned Tuesday greeting that Dwight Howard and Talen Horton-Tucker had tested retired of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. Horton-Tucker started against the Phoenix Suns connected Tuesday night, portion the Lakers held Howard retired of the archetypal half.

The Lakers inactive person 4 players successful the protocols: Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Austin Reaves and Kent Bazemore. Head manager Frank Vogel and adjunct manager Phil Handy besides stay successful the protocols.

One of the main inconveniences of losing players during their caller three-game roadworthy travel was that the Lakers person been dispersed retired successful quarantine crossed the country. The squad said Bradley and Handy returned to Los Angeles (from Dallas) connected Saturday, portion Reaves and Monk were expected to instrumentality (from Minnesota) connected Tuesday. As of Tuesday morning, the squad said Vogel and Bazemore were inactive successful Chicago.

The NBA arsenic a full has present seen much than 100 players participate protocols successful December. Assistant manager David Fizdale, acting arsenic the interim caput coach, said adjacent though the Lakers had mislaid their erstwhile 2 games, they were intent connected not letting their extent issues creep into their intelligence approach.

“This is not comfy oregon convenient for anybody,” Fizdale said. “This is the satellite going done this. Let’s conscionable upwind the storm, fig retired who is playing and we play. Figure retired who is coaching, and we coach. That’s what it is and judge what it is successful beforehand of america and nary excuses. Let’s spell retired determination and play our butts off.”

MASON JONES, JEMERRIO JONES OFFICIALLY ADDED

You could accidental the Lakers are trying to support up with their Joneses.

With 4 players inactive retired owed to the protocols, All-Star large antheral Anthony Davis retired for astatine slightest a period with a genu wounded and Kendrick Nunn inactive moving his mode backmost from a preseason injury, the Lakers made 2 deals connected the margins of the roster, adding extent with defender Mason Jones and helping Jemerrio Jones.

Mason Jones was added arsenic a two-way declaration player, with the Lakers waiving Chaundee Brown to make the spot to telephone him up. Jones has been playing for the South Bay Lakers this season, averaging 18.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.2 steals. He has played successful 32 vocation NBA games. Given the COVID-19 outbreak affecting the league, two-way declaration players person been fixed unlimited days to play for their NBA clubs (previously, they could lone walk 40 days with the genitor nine done the extremity of the G League season).

Jemerrio Jones is the eighth Laker to rejoin the franchise during this twelvemonth for a nonconsecutive season. He antecedently played astatine the process extremity of the 2018-19 season, appearing successful six games. Jones was signed connected a 10-day declaration nether the NBA’s caller hardship exemption, which allows teams further flexibility for 10-day deals portion dealing with protocol-related absences. He’s been playing for the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League affiliate.

Fizdale implied that some Joneses would beryllium utilized connected a constricted basis, but helium hoped that, if called upon, they would rise the vigor level of a seasoned squad that needs to bash much soiled work.

“Guys that, again, tin possibly assistance america get a fewer much possessions disconnected the glass, escaped balls, tally the level and get immoderate inexpensive baskets,” helium said. “Jemerrio is simply a precise switchable kid. A kid that tin defender aggregate positions and rebounds the heck retired of the shot and evidently that’s thing that we’ve been talking astir getting amended at. And (Mason), helium tin enactment the shot successful the spread and marque plays and I won’t beryllium acrophobic to fto him bash that, comfortably.”