Seth Curry, guardian of the Philadelphia 76ers, returned a positive test for the coronavirus, which the team knew almost began its 122-109 loss to the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night, sources told ESPN.
The Sixers will spend the night in New York and will begin locating contacts Friday morning, sources said. The team will hold a new round of testing Friday in accordance with NBA safety and health protocols.
Curry, who was left out of Thursday’s game with pain in his left ankle, spent the first quarter on the bench before the Sixers were aware of a positive test, sources said. He was wearing a mask and was sitting next to assistant coach Sam Cassell and center Joel Embiid.
Curry left the courthouse area and isolated himself. He left the Barclays Center separate from the team.
Embiid, who has a three-month-old son, told ESPN he plans to quarantine his family until he is satisfied he did not contract the virus.
Philadelphia is scheduled to play Saturday at home against the Denver Nuggets.
Sixers coach Doc Rivers, Curry’s father-in-law, said before Thursday’s game that Curry had suffered an ankle injury in the Philadelphia victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night’s 141-136, in which Curry scored 28 points for the 11th. -14 shootings in 36 minutes.
Rivers said he had “no idea” when Curry suffered the injury. Shake Milton started in his place against the Nets.
“I know he was in the game [Wednesday] … I think somewhere in the late fourth quarter, “Rivers said.” But as for how long he will be out, my guess is day to day. I don’t think it’s a serious injury, but it’s the right one. “
Curry appeared to be sitting in the front row of the bench at the start of Thursday night’s game, sitting next to Cassell and two seats from Dwight Howard backup center, until the veteran old man stayed in the baseline to stretch before entering the game.
When Embiid headed to the bench with 3 minutes, 5 seconds remaining in the first quarter, he sat in the seat directly to Curry’s left, where he remained for the rest of the first quarter.
At the start of the second quarter, Embiid was still in his seat and Cassell was still in his, but the seat Curry had occupied was empty. And it seemed to stay that way for the rest of the game.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.