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Raptors Rule Out Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby Due to COVID-19 Protocols
Good news hasn't come for the Toronto Raptors quite yet.
The team will once again be without Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Patrick McCaw, and Malachi Flynn for Sunday night's game against the Chicago Bulls.
It'll mark the fifth straight game the Raptors have played without the latter four and the sixth without Siakam who all remain in the NBA's COVID-19 protocols.
The news comes as no surprise after Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said he was doubtful Toronto would have any of the five back for Sunday night's game. The hope, he said, is for the team to regroup on Monday and see if anyone has cleared protocols to return for Wednesday night's game against the Detroit Pistons.
Sunday marks the 16th day the Raptors have been without Siakam who first popped up on the team's injury report on February 26 and it's been at least 12 days since Anunoby, VanVleet, McCaw, and Flynn were declared out on March 2. According to league protocols, anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 must quarantine for 10 days and partake in two days of isolated workouts before returning to team activities. The team will not announce if anyone has tested positive for COVID-19 due to privacy reasons, though the lengthy extent of the absence would suggest it's unlikely they are out due to COVID-19 contact tracing.
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