Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan on Friday entered the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols ahead of a pair of games Sunday and Monday.
The Bulls on Thursday cleared their final group of players — including star guard Zach LaVine — from the league protocols. A total of 11 players entered the COVID-19 protocols in December, including DeMar DeRozan and LaVine, the team’s leading scorers.
Assistant Chris Fleming will take on interim coaching duties during Donovan’s absence. Fleming is expected to fill in through games against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at the United Center and the Hawks on Monday in Atlanta.
Donovan is the first member of the Bulls coaching staff to enter COVID-19 protocols since the team’s outbreak began when Coby White tested positive Dec. 1. The coach will be required to spend 10 days in quarantine or provide two negative PCR tests before returning to the sideline.
Ahead of this week, Donovan said the coaching staff was perplexed by its ability to avoid protocols despite following the same requirements as players, who were testing positive.
“I asked that exact question two days ago to our medical people,” Donovan said Sunday before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. “We’re around these guys. We’re all together. We’re in locker rooms, on planes. We’re in buses, we’re in huddles. And the response I got was, ‘Count yourself lucky.’ So I don’t think there’s anything as much as we’ve been very fortunate.”
Donovan had been energized by the prospect of returning a nearly full slate of players to the court Sunday. The Bulls signed Irsan Ilyasova and Mac McClung to short-term hardship contracts Wednesday, but Donovan said he didn’t think the Bulls would need either for depth after the final five players returned from protocols this week.
Alex Caruso (left foot sprain) and Derrick Jones Jr. (left hamstring) are the only two players not expected to play Sunday.
The NBA postponed three Bulls games this month — twice because the Bulls’ outbreak, then a third Wednesday following an outbreak among the Toronto Raptors. DeRozan returned to action Sunday and carried the Bulls with a combined 64 points in wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.
The Bulls (19-10) are chasing the Brooklyn Nets (21-9) for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They went 5-2 through their teamwide COVID-19 outbreak.
