Kristaps Porzingis forgets to be tested, will not play in Pacers scrimmage

During a media availability on Sunday before the Mavericks scrimmage the Pacers, Rick Carlisle revealed that the team’s starting center Kristaps Porzingis would not be eligible to play in the match up. Porzingis forgot to report to the testing center located in the Mavericks hotel on Saturday, which was their day off. The NBA has created a strict daily testing policy to ensure all players are as safe as possible. A violation of this policy forces Porzingis into a one-day quarantine that will cause him to miss the scrimmage.

Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Porzingis is not alone in an incident like this. Yesterday, Paul Millsap of the Denver Nuggets missed the teams second scrimmage as he forgot to be tested on Friday. This is just an accident while players adjust to their new normal. Players get tested daily to ensure the safety of everyone inside the NBA’s “bubble”, but it’s also their responsibility to show up for these tests. Coach Carlisle mentioned that Porzingis did express regret and that he was looking forward to joining the team tomorrow after he’s retested.

Whether he forgot his test due to playing video games, enjoying a nap, or scrolling through Instagram, luckily it’s just a scrimmage.