NBA: Pistons' Wood tests positive for coronavirus -- reports

Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood tested positive for coronavirus, multiple outlets reported Saturday night.

Wood becomes the third known NBA player to test positive for the virus. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, who played the Pistons last week, are the others.

The Pistons confirmed later Saturday night that a player on their team had tested positive, but they didn't release the identity. The club said the player had been in self-isolation since Wednesday night.

"A preliminary positive result came back on March 14," the club said in a statement. "The health and safety of our players, our organization, those throughout our league, and all those potentially impacted by this situation is paramount.

"We are working closely with team medical staff, state and local government and public health officials and the NBA on reporting. The individual will remain in isolation and under the care of team medical staff."

The Athletic reported that Wood felt "subtle symptoms" on Thursday and decided to get tested as a precaution.

Wood's agent, Adam Pensack, said the following to the Detroit News on Saturday night about Wood: "He feels 100 percent fine."

Wood went up against the Jazz and Gobert on March 7 in Detroit, and the two got mixed up in an incident that resulted in double technical fouls.

Wood had 30 points and 11 rebounds in that game, while Gobert had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Videos from the game show many times where their bodies come together or their sweaty faces are in close proximity.

The 24-year-old Wood was in the midst of a breakout season prior to play being suspended Wednesday night after Gobert's positive test. Mitchell's test came back positive on Thursday.

Wood averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 62 games. The UNLV product had a career-best 32 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, official Courtney Kirkland's coronavirus test came back negative, ESPN reported on Saturday.

Kirkland was one of the officials assigned to Wednesday's game between the New Orleans Pelicans and host Sacramento Kings that was postponed.

Kirkland had worked the Jazz's game on Monday in Salt Lake City against the Toronto Raptors. After news of Gobert's positive test broke, players on the Pelicans and Kings became aware that Kirkland had officiated the game involving Gobert and expressed their reluctance to play the game to NBA officials.

The game was canceled a short time later.

According to ESPN, Kirkland is now cleared to leave Sacramento and can resume all activities without restriction.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Pistons crush Wizards by 30, end 5-game skid

Christian Wood scored 22 points off the bench, Tim Frazier had 17 points and six assists, and the host Detroit Pistons snapped a five-game losing streak by blasting the Washington Wizards 132-102 on Thursday.

Derrick Rose contributed 15 points and six assists, Blake Griffin had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Andre Drummond supplied 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons.

Bruce Brown and Svi Mykhailiuk added 12 points apiece, and Tony Snell chipped in 10.

The Pistons shot 53.5 percent from the field.

Anzejs Pasecniks topped the Wizards with 17 points while Bradley Beal and Jordan McRae had 15 points apiece. Troy Brown Jr. contributed 13 points, and Gary Payton II, signed less than a week ago, added 10 points.

The Wizards were held to 41.3 percent shooting.

Washington won at Detroit 133-119 on Dec. 16, but the Pistons dominated this game virtually from the start.

The Pistons learned earlier in the day that starting swingman Luke Kennard would miss at least the next two weeks due to knee tendinitis.

The Wizards have been ravaged by injuries, and guard Isaiah Thomas was serving the second game of a two-game, NBA-issued suspension for confronting a fan in the stands.

The Pistons opened up a 20-point lead by halftime, 68-48.

Drummond led the way with 12 first-half points, including a tip-in right before the second-quarter buzzer. Bruce Brown scored 10 points and Griffin added eight before halftime.

The Pistons shot 55.6 percent and made just three turnovers in the first half. Washington also committed only three turnovers but shot 38 percent.

Detroit extended its lead to 26 early in the third when Mykhailiuk hit a 3-pointer, Griffin blocked an Admiral Schofield shot and Frazier followed with another long ball.

Frazier's 3-pointer midway through the quarter upped Detroit's advantage to 89-60. Griffin nudged the lead to 30 on a layup with 5:13 left in the quarter.

The Pistons carried a 106-76 lead into the fourth quarter.

Detroit now heads out on a six-game road trip, its longest of the season, beginning with a Saturday game at San Antonio. Washington plays its next six games at home, starting Saturday against the New York Knicks.

source: news.abs-cbn.com