At the end of the third quarter of a preseason game where the host Grizzlies led the Bucks 87-77, a fire alarm started going off in the FedEx Forum — the alarm could be heard throughout the building, and lights were flashing, all of which could be seen on the broadcast. As a safety precaution, the players came off the court, and the building itself was evacuated.
While the alarm proved to be inadvertent — a sprinkler system had been tripped in a non-public area of the arena — the delay led the NBA to decide to call off the game and not play the fourth quarter. Here is the official announcement from the league:
The Milwaukee Bucks at Memphis Grizzlies preseason game tonight has been suspended at the conclusion of the third quarter due to a fire alarm issue at FedExForum. With the lengthy delay, the league, in consultation with the Bucks and Grizzlies, has determined not to complete the game in the interest of player safety.
This makes sense. Players would have to warm up again, the risk of injury would go up, and it’s just a preseason game.
That game still had its moments, including Ja Morant throwing down a mid-season form dunk.
Morant finished with 27 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Not bad for three quarters of work.
