Nets’ Irving clears NBA protocols, Hawks add to COVID list

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

Kyrie Irving is a step closer to making his season debut. The Eastern Conference-leading Brooklyn Nets announced Tuesday that Irving, along with Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge, have cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols — a major step toward getting them back on the court. But the Atlanta Hawks added three more players to their list, and Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault is now sidelined as well. The league began Tuesday with about 120 players in the protocols. Numbers tend to change frequently as players test in and out over the course of each day.