Westbrook available, DeRozan cleared, numbers high elsewhere
By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer
Russell Westbrook had a short stay in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Westbrook was cleared to return Friday, as was DeMar DeRozan, leaving the Chicago Bulls with seven players in protocols. The Los Angeles Lakers announced a few hours before their game in Minnesota that Westbrook would be available. He had been placed in protocols Thursday and been listed as out in the injury report earlier Friday, though a player can be cleared by returning two consecutive negative tests in a 24-hour span. The Lakers are scheduled to play on Sunday in Chicago, which would be the Bulls’ next game after they had two postponed because 10 players were in protocols.