Agree 100% with Bornstellar.
Some context:
Some other context: This was our eighth game in 11 days which included two back-to-backs, both requiring travel. This was our FIFTH game this week!
Sure there are rules in place. But the spirit of the law is being ignored for the letter. When the NBA schedules a tight 72 games for teams, AND when there's a necessity to reschedule the games missed due to Covid, thus making an already tight schedule that much more ridiculously so - again, only ONE day rest at most between games in the second half of the season for us! - maybe adjust the rule for resting players
that was in place pre-Covid. It doesn't make sense to apply rules for circumstances that the rule wasn't designed to cover.
Like the rash of injuries isn't a big enough hint?!
And for those suggesting to just lie and make one up - and I agree that teams are doing this given the reasons we see for players out a single game which just happens to be the second of a back-to-back - well that puts the team's medical staff at risk, and given our precedence setting luck, we're the team that would get investigated. It's just not the way we operate anyway. Guys were tired. Jakob has played every game, Patty's played more than his average, and DeMar's played a ton while being the main focus of opponent D. They were out for rest.
League has to make adjustments in good faith rather than adhere to a rule that is applicable to an 82-game schedule without extra rescheduled games crammed in. Otherwise, the implication is tacit consent to being lied to or to being ok with greater risk of injury, neither of which is in line with its integrity of the game mantra or league revenues and fan interest. Get it right.