Washington Wizards Coach Wes Unseld has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, and assistant Pat Delany is taking over as acting head coach starting with Saturday night’s game against Portland.

The Wizards announced Unseld’s absence Friday. Unseld is in his first season coaching the Wizards, who are 22-20 and have won three in a row. Delany said he spoke at length with Unseld on Friday morning, and that he’s feeling OK.

To return to the team Unseld will either need to test negative twice in 24 hours or, provided he is asymptomatic and meets a host of other testing requirements, wait the allotted number of isolation days – down to six days from what had been 10 earlier this season.

Unseld is the 16th NBA head coach to enter the protocols this season, meaning more than half of the league’s head coaches have missed time because of the league’s COVID-19 rules. Detroit’s Dwane Casey and Dallas’s Jason Kidd also entered protocols within the past week, while Milwaukee’s Mike Budenholzer returned to coach the Bucks on Thursday after a four-game absence.

Delany said he still expects Unseld to provide feedback, even though he won’t be there physically. Delany has head coaching experience from the G League. Delany said star guard Bradley Beal is still in health and safety protocols after missing the last two games.

Saturday’s home game will also be Washington’s first played under the District of Columbia’s vaccine requirement, which requires any patron 12 and older to show proof they’ve received at least one shot of an approved coronavirus vaccine to enter Capital One Arena.

NETS: Kevin Durant has been fined $15,000 for using profane language during an interview after the Brooklyn Nets’ 114-108 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.

The NBA announced the fine on Friday, saying Durant declined to participate in an interview with the league about the incident.

The star forward had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets in the loss. Brooklyn has played five games in the past week because of COVID-19-related schedule adjustments, going 2-3 in those contests.

CAVALIERS: Cleveland is bringing back former guard José Calderón as a special advisor in its front office. Calderón played 14 seasons in the NBA, spending the 2017-18 season in Cleveland as the Cavs made their fourth straight trip to the Finals. The 40-year-old was with the Detroit Pistons in 2018-19.

After retiring, he worked with the National Basketball Players Association as an assistant to NBPA executive director Michele Roberts and a senior management team on union strategy and issues relevant to current players. With the Cavs, Calderón will assist Koby Altman, the team’s newly named director of basketball operations.

FRIDAY GAMES

WARRIORS 138, BULLS 96: Andrew Wiggins scored 21 points, Stephen Curry added 19 and Golden State rolled to its most lopsided win of the season, dominating the Bulls in Chicago.

Rookie Jonathan Kuminga finished with 25 points and Jordan Poole scored 22. The Warriors broke out of their rut in a huge way, pulling away early after dropping four of five. It was just the sort of breather they needed coming off a lopsided loss at defending champion Milwaukee the previous night.

The Bulls lost star Zach LaVine to a left knee injury in the opening minutes. They got booed off the court trailing 78-47 at halftime and wound up with their worst loss this season.

MAGIC 116, HORNETS 109: Moritz Wagner scored a season-high 26 points, younger brother Franz added 19 points and seven assists, and Orlando won at Charlotte to snap a 10-game losing streak.

Gary Harris added 18 points for the Magic (8-35), who had not won since before Christmas. Orlando trailed by three entering the fourth quarter, but took advantage of a cold-shooting Hornets team to open a 13-point lead with 2 minutes left, punctuated by Moritz Wagner’s dunk – and celebratory flex – off a feed from Cole Anthony.

LaMelo Ball had 23 points and eight assists for the Hornets (23-20), who shot 12 of 42 from 3-point range. Miles Bridges added 20 points and Mason Plumlee had 10 points and 10 rebounds in a chippy game.

SUNS 112, PACERS 94: Devin Booker scored 35 points, Deandre Ayton had 27 points and 12 rebounds and NBA-leading Phoenix beat host Indiana.

Chris Paul added 12 points and nine assist for Phoenix, and Cam Payne had 11 points and five assists. The Suns finished the first half of the season 32-9, their second-best record in franchise history through the first 41 games.

Justin Holiday scored 25 points for Indiana, Caris LeVert had 20, and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points and 14 rebounds. The Pacers have lost three in a row and nine of 10.

PISTONS 103, RAPTORS 87: Trey Lyles scored 21 points, Cade Cunningham and Hamidou Diallo each added 18 and Detroit extending its surprising stretch by beating Toronto. The Pistons are 5-3 in 2022 after finishing 2021 with 18 losses in their last 19 games.

Josh Jackson had 13 points off the bench as the Pistons held Toronto to 32.2% shooting. With three starters spending much of the night in foul trouble, Lyles and Jackson came off the bench to play an important role in the win.