“Welcome to the NBA in 2021. I think every minute, every hour, and every day is going to be an adjustment.”
That was Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce Tuesday about the possibility that his team’s game Wednesday in Phoenix could be postponed. It was, the NBA made it official Wednesday morning.
“Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Suns, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with tonight’s game against the Hawks,” the NBA said in its official release.
Not ideal
— Kevin Huerter (@KevinHuerter) January 13, 2021
This is the third game on Wednesday to be postponed, Utah at Washington and Orlando at Boston were the other two.
The Suns played the Wizards — a team battling coronavirus issues — earlier in the week, and that appears to be the reason for the postponement. The well-connected John Gambadoro in Phoenix says that no Suns have tested positive, but this follows league rules and is precautionary.
From what I have heard the Suns have no positive tests following the Washington game. Just additional testing needed due to the Wizards Covid situation. All Suns players were tested when they arrived back in Phoenix following the Washington game.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) January 13, 2021
The Atlanta/Phoenix game will be made up in the second half of the season.
Phoenix is scheduled to host Golden State on Friday and Indiana on Saturday.
This is the seventh NBA game postponed due to the coronavirus this season, the sixth in the last handful of days as the surge in the coronavirus across the nation has seeped into the league.