“If Kevin Durant doesn’t play, there should be no game”: James Harden doesn’t understand why the Nets-Raptors game continued after KD was pulled

James Harden said he doesn’t understand why the NBA decided to carry forward with the Nets-Raptors game after Kevin Durant sat out.

In a bizarre moment in the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors bout, the NBA decided to pull Kevin Durant from the game due to concerns regarding the league’s health and safety protocols.

According to the NBA, Kevin Durant had interacted with an individual prior to the Raptors game, who had an inconclusive COVID test come in. This inconclusive test was revealed to be a positive test for COVID. Due to KD’s interaction with him, he was asked to leave the game, midway.

Statement from NBA on Kevin Durant situation: pic.twitter.com/S6XvLUhAH2

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2021

Also Read: “Free me”: Kevin Durant posts hilarious tweet after league office prevents Nets superstar from re-entering game against Raptors due to Covid-19 contact tracing

This seemed odd to everybody on the floor. Durant had already been in close contact with his teammates and the opposing team’s players. In fact, he managed to rack up 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in 19 minutes of play.

James Harden fails to understand the reasoning for Kevin Durant being escorted out of the game

With their leading scorer out, the Brooklyn Nets proceeded to fall to the Raptors after heroics from Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell. Following the loss, James Harden took to his postgame media availability to address the KD debacle.

“They (league officials) just said contact tracing. I’m thinking to myself, we were all in the locker room together. That means there’s no game if he’s not going to play. That was my thought process.”

James Harden on Kevin Durant’s health & safety protocols: “They just said contact tracing. I’m thinking to myself, if it’s contact tracing, then we were all in the locker room together. That means there’s no game if he’s not going to be able to play. That was my thought process.” pic.twitter.com/us8mUtjZTa

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 6, 2021

Also Read: “I trust the NBA with their safety protocols”: Nets head coach Steve Nash disagrees with Lakers MVP LeBron James on the prospect of having an All-Star Game

Harden is absolutely right when it comes to this matter. If KD had already been in contact with quite literally everybody else on the floor for nearly 20 minutes, then one of two things should’ve happened: either the NBA should’ve let the game go on as everyone has already been in contact with KD; or, a much better approach would’ve been to call the game off entirely.

It is unclear at the moment whether or not Durant will make the trip to Philly with the Nets.