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SALT LAKE CITY — The quarantine clock has started for Mike Conley.
After leaving the NBA bubble for the birth of his son, the Utah Jazz starting point guard returned to Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Monday evening and will have a chance to play in Game 3 on Friday.
After a review of his absence, the NBA has determined Conley must go through a four-day quarantine before returning to action (the minimum amount of time for an excused absence). There is a chance Conley can return to the Jazz lineup on Friday for Game 3 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.
Conley's availability for Game 3 will depend on when his final COVID-19 test comes in. That game is scheduled to tipoff at 2 p.m. MDT — right near Conley's four-day mark. Due to when he returned to the bubble — Monday vs. Tuesday — there's an expectation he will be able to clear the needed four coronavirus tests by Friday's game.
Conley left the bubble on Sunday morning to be with his wife Mary after she gave birth to their son, Elijah.
"We're thrilled that he's able to experience that and look forward to him coming back soon," Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said.
Without Conley, the Jazz fell to the Nuggets 135-125 in overtime in Game 1. His return should help lighten the load on Donovan Mitchell, who scored 57 points in the loss. Conley was one of Utah’s best players during the seeding games, averaging 19.8 points and 5.6 assists in the five full games he's played in Orlando.
