Warriors guard Jordan Poole has been listed as out for Friday night’s game in Boston due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Poole is the latest player to enter protocol, continuing a wave in the wake of the Omicron variant’s presence in the U.S.. The NBA ramped up its testing and masking rules on Thursday after over 50 players and several coaches entered health and safety protocols this week.
The NBA and players union are determined to continue the season without interruption, Wojnarowski reported, but there have been two games canceled this week — both Bulls games. Teams need to have at least seven healthy players to field a competitive lineup, or games can be subject to cancellation.
Both the Warriors and Celtics canceled their morning shootarounds in Boston.
The Warriors’ game in the Boston Garden, unless there is a evidence of a possible outbreak between Friday morning and tipoff, will likely be played. But for the Celtics, forwards Jabari Parker, Al Horford and Grant Williams are each also in health and safety protocols.
Poole, 22, is averaging a career-best 17.9 points per game. As of Friday morning, no other Warrior is in protocol.
