National Basketball Association

Illness sidelines 5 Grizzlies players

Published Nov. 19, 2014 7:19 p.m. ET

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TORONTO (AP) Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee and forward Tony Allen were among five players who were out for Wednesday's game against the Toronto Raptors because of illness.

Memphis coach Dave Joerger said center Kosta Koufos, forward Jon Leuer and guard Beno Udrih were sent back to the hotel to keep them separated from their teammates.

''This stuff, it goes through teams throughout the course of the year,'' Joerger said. ''Usually it picks off a guy or two here and there. It kind of hit all of them at the same time.''

A Grizzlies spokesman said Allen and Lee were both hospitalized to receive fluids because they were dehydrated.

The Grizzlies flew into Toronto Tuesday evening, one day after beating Houston to improve to an NBA-best 10-1, and the players started feeling ill on Wednesday.

To fill out their roster, the Grizzlies signed guard Kalin Lucas and center Hassan Whiteside from Iowa of the D-League. Both players were with the Grizzlies during the preseason but were waived before the regular season.

Lucas and Whiteside gave the Grizzlies 10 active players to face the Raptors.

With his team ravaged by sickness, Joerger said he wasn't entirely welcome to return home following Wednesday's game.

''My wife told me `Don't come home tonight,''' Joerger said with a laugh. ''She said `Stay at the hotel in town.' I'm like, `I'm not feeling sick!'''