Without context, this would be a ridiculous thing to watch: the already short-handed Nets will be without Joe Harris, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen for their game against the Bucks Tuesday night, with the former two being out due to hamstring tightness and a thigh contusion, respectively, and Allen being out for…unusual circumstances.
That is most likely a new one on the injury sheet, newer than the other reason given (the ever-popular "load management"), but thankfully, interim head coach Jacque Vaughn had an answer for it, assuring everyone that Allen wasn't abducted by aliens or switched into Vaughn's body a la "Freaky Friday."
Vaughn explained "unusual circumstances" are the Nets having to play 3 games in 4 nights with Jarrett Allen playing the most minutes of his career yesterday against the Wizards.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) August 3, 2020Indeed, Allen played just over 38 minutes against Washington on Sunday, only the fifth time in his career he has logged less than 10 minutes of regulation time on the bench in three seasons. And, while yes, three games in five days isn't rare in the NBA, these are the first three games the Nets have played in four months, and with a depleted roster, Allen is being leaned on more than ever as the team makes a push to the playoffs.
That all said, if nothing else, Allen can always say he was the first NBA player to sit out a game for "unusual circumstances" – quite a feat in a year where sports were shut down for months amidst a pandemic.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social MediaTwitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
