The Brooklyn Nets are slated to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, but the team got some tough news ahead of the holiday showcase. According to Shams Charania, Kevin Durant is still in the NBA's health and safety protocols and will not be playing on Saturday.

Obviously this is a huge loss for the Nets, who will be without their MVP candidate ahead of one of their biggest matchups of the year. This will also take some of the intrigue out of the Lakers-Nets matchup which was one of the headlines of the NBA Christmas Day slate. As more and more players continue to test positive for COVID-19, the league has maintained its stance that there will be no temporary shutdown as a result of the outbreak.

Durant was placed in the league's health and safety protocols earlier in the week, as one of a multitude of Nets players to hit the shelf. Other Nets on the COVID's list include Kyrie Irving, Day'Ron Sharpe, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre' Bembry, Bruce Brown, James Johnson, Kessler Edwards, David Duke Jr., and Cameron Thomas.

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While Durant has been ruled out for the game, the Nets did get some good news in that James Harden, Paul Millsap, and Jevon Carter have all tested out of the league's protocols, meaning they're eligible to play against the Lakers.

Both teams enter this matchup shorthanded, with the Lakers missing star forward Anthony Davis to injury, as well as Kendrick Nunn. Additionally, Avery Bradley, Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, Trevor Ariza and Kent Bazemore are all on the COVID-list for L.A., who signed Stanley Johnson and Darren Collison in their stead.