Los Angeles (AFP)

The game between Houston and Oklahoma City scheduled for Wednesday on the second day of the NBA season has been postponed due to positive coronavirus cases identified in the Rockets, announced the North American Basketball League.

"Three players have passed tests which were positive or inconclusive for the Covid-19 and four other players constituting their contact cases were also quarantined", justified the instance.

In addition, James Harden "is unavailable due to a violation of health protocols," added the NBA which opened an investigation after the appearance of a video in which the star of the Texas team appeared at a Monday evening, surrounded by several people, without a mask.

As such, the league recommends not to frequent bars, nightclubs and to avoid gatherings of more than 15 people.

"All the other Rockets players were tested again this Wednesday and the results were negative for each," said the NBA, which justified the postponement of the game against the Thunder because Houston has a player unavailable due to 'a wound.

"In this case, the Rockets do not have the eight players available required by the league to play this meeting," she argued.

Earlier on Wednesday, ESPN and The Athletic reported that point guard John Wall and pivot DeMarcus Cousins ​​were among rookie Kenyon Martin Jr.'s contact cases, and had been sent home to “self-isolate” as well, preventively.

Since he tested positive on Tuesday, the latter has, again according to the same media, undergone an additional test which turned out to be negative, just like those passed by Wall and Cousins, the two major rookies of the Rockets in the offseason .

The three players were on Tuesday in the apartment of one of them where they requested the services of a hairdresser at home.

A few days ago, Houston had already recorded a first positive case of Covid, in the person of the back Ben McLemore.

Regarding Harden, who is not a contact case of Martin, he defended himself to have been in a strip club contrary to what the images of the video suggest.

“One thing after another. I went to support my friend at her event (not a strip) because she becomes a patron and puts her people in a position to be successful and apparently that's a problem. days there is something different. No matter how many times people drag my name through the mud. The truth will always triumph, "he commented on Instagram.

One more negative episode for "The Beard", who expressed the wish to leave Houston in the offseason and did not resume training until late, marked by an altercation with a teammate.

© 2020 AFP