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UPDATE: According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Ayton has been cleared to play:
Suns’ Deandre Ayton missed his coronavirus test Sunday, was retested Monday morning and can rejoin team when results return, source tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Suns face Thunder now.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 10, 2020
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The Phoenix Suns take on the Oklahoma City Thunder today as they look to continue their improbable push for the playoffs, but they’ll be without starting center DeAndre Ayton.
Ayton reportedly is out today after missing a scheduled covid-19 test:
Broadcast says Deandre Ayton missed his COVID-19 testing on Sunday, which is why he's not playing for the Suns today.
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) August 10, 2020
That is absolutely inexcusable.
While the Suns are led by Devin Booker, Ayton is a huge part of the Suns’ starting lineup, averaging 19 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game.
The Suns have gone 5-0 so far in the bubble to pull within 1.5 games of the eighth seed in the Western Conference.