Is this the start of a long list of game cancellations and postponements?
The NBA announced the postponement of five games on Sunday, while the American basketball league is, like the United States, hit by a meteoric increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.
Five games postponed
Three games scheduled for Sunday (Atlanta-Cleveland, Brooklyn-Denver and Philadelphia-New Orleans) have been postponed, as well as Toronto-Orlando, scheduled for Monday, and Brooklyn-Washington on Tuesday.
It all started Sunday morning, with the announcement by specialist media ESPN that five Cavaliers players, including pivot Jarrett Allen, had tested positive, joining Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro on the list of players in anti-Covid protocol.
This prompted the League to postpone the meeting which was to pit the Cavaliers against the Hawks, themselves affected by the Covid since their star point guard Trae Young tested positive.
Ten days affected by the Covid
The Nets see their next two games postponed, while ten of their players are on anti-Covid protocol, including the three stars Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
The latter, unvaccinated, yet made his return to the workforce.
The leader was previously excluded by his franchise because not eligible for home games, but it is now planned to make him play away matches.
For this, he will have to be restored from the Covid.
The Nets will therefore not face the Denver Nuggets this Sunday nor the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, while LaMarcus Aldridge, Bruce Brown, Paul Millsap, DeAndre Bembry, Jevon Carter and James Johnson are also on the “Covid list” of the franchise.
Avoid a suspension of the season
The match which was to oppose the Pelicans to the Sixers is also postponed.
Philadelphia, which already has many injured players, has seen Andre Drummond and Shake Milton added to the anti-Covid protocol, after Georges Niang.
ESPN said the Sixers are hopeful that they will be able to resume competition on Monday in Boston.
Finally, the League announced the postponement of the match between Toronto and Orlando, scheduled for Monday.
The Orlando Magic only had nine players available on Saturday (the league's minimum requirement is 8), when they beat the Nets 100-93.
Last season a total of 31 games were postponed
All of these announcements bring the number of games postponed this season in the NBA to seven, while last season a total of 31 games were postponed due to the Covid.
The first two games rescheduled this season were those of the Chicago Bulls, when the team had ten players in isolation due to Covid-19 this week.
The Bulls are supposed to make their return to the courts this Sunday against the Lakers, who lost their coach, Frank Vogel, in turn placed in health protocol.
He will be replaced on the bench by his assistant David Fizdale.
After a relatively calm start to the season on the Covid front, the virus has resurfaced in the NBA in recent weeks in a dazzling fashion, with several teams decimated.
Sunday, at midday, the NBA had 64 players and a coach placed in health protocol over the last six days.
As ESPN reports, the NBA and NBPA (NBA Players Association) continue to work on a plan that required teams affected by Covid to recruit additional players.
The League remains committed to minimizing postponements and avoiding a season suspension, ESPN says.
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Coronavirus
NBA
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