The NBA on Wednesday postponed a scheduled game between the New Orleans Pelicans and hosts the Sacramento Kings minutes after the delayed scheduled tipoff, bringing to an end a wild day during which the league announced an indefinite suspension of all games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Less than two hours earlier, the NBA had announced that at the conclusion of Wednesday night, the regular season would be suspended “until further notice” after a player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19.
The announcement came shortly after a game between the Utah Jazz and hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder was called off moments before the tipoff.
Photo: AP
ESPN columnist Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the player in question is Utah center Rudy Gobert, and that players from the Jazz and Thunder were being quarantined at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Gobert reportedly was not at the arena.
Earlier, Gobert had tried to show that coronavirus fears were overblown by touching every microphone and recorder at a news conference, while discussing the situation with members of the media.
The team later described him as suffering from an “illness,” but the NBA did not say whether he was the player who tested positive.
In Sacramento, California, referee Courtney Kirkland was not on the court as game time neared. Kirkland had worked Monday’s game between the Jazz and the Toronto Raptors.
After teams left the court and officials huddled for a bit, it was announced through the public address system that the game was postponed.
The development capped an already dramatic day for the US sports world, with the NCAA deciding to bar fans from the March Madness college basketball tournament, and the professional baseball and hockey leagues reshuffling schedules to cope with the pandemic.
It is a particularly awkward time for the NBA to suspend their season since the playoffs begin in about a month and teams were vying for position.
The decision — coming less than 24 hours after a number of NBA teams were adamant that their games would continue with arenas full of spectators — also shows just how quickly the sports world is rushing to update its approach to the virus.
It cast immediate doubt on the future for sports currently in season — such as the NHL, professional soccer and college basketball — and leagues such as the MLB, which is scheduled to start on March 26.
It is likely to add pressure to the organizers of the Tokyo Olympic Games, which are scheduled to start on July 24.
Late on Wednesday, the NHL released a statement acknowledging the NBA’s move, without saying what it planned to do.
“The NHL is continuing to consult with medical experts and is evaluating the options,” the league said. “We expect to have a further update tomorrow.”
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
Also on Wednesday, it was:
‧ Knicks 136, Hawks 131 (OT)
‧ 76ers 124, Pistons 106
‧ Hornets 109, Heat 98
‧ Mavericks 113, Nuggets 97
SEESAW CONTEST: The Pistons remain top of the Eastern Conference after battling to a win over the Hawks in a game that saw the lead change 27 times The Phoenix Suns on Monday shrugged off an injury to Devin Booker to end the Los Angeles Lakers’ seven-game winning streak with an emphatic 125-108 victory on the road. Booker exited in the first quarter, but the loss of the star point guard did little to halt the flow of Phoenix points over the remainder of the game. Dillon Brooks led the Phoenix scoring with 33 points, while Collin Gillespie added 28 — including eight three-pointers — as the Suns romped to victory. The Lakers were left ruing a colossal 22 turnovers — at a cost of 32 Suns points — on a
New Zealand yesterday reached 231-9 at stumps on a first day of the first Test against the West Indies shortened by rain after Justin Greaves triggered a middle-order collapse with the wicket of Kane Williamson. New Zealand tumbled from 94-1 to 148-6 on a bowler-friendly wicket after Williamson was dismissed for 52, his 38th Test half-century. Michael Bracewell and Nathan Smith arrested the slide with a 52-run stand for the seventh wicket. Smith eventually fell for 23 and Bracewell for 47. After Matt Henry went for 8, Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy were both on 4 when bad light stopped play after 70
Robin Smith, the batter who shone for England in a period when it was beaten regularly in Test cricket, has died. He was 62. Smith’s family said in a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that he died unexpectedly at his home in Perth, Australia, on Monday. No cause was given. He played 62 Tests for England from 1988 to 1996, scoring 4,236 runs at an average of 43.67 with nine centuries. His signature shot was the square cut. Smith also played in 71 one-day internationals and was part of England’s squad who reached the 1992 ICC World Cup final. His unbeaten
SSC Napoli on Sunday joined AC Milan at the top of Serie A after winning 1-0 at title rivals AS Roma, as Inter kept pace with the leading pair by beating Pisa SC 2-0. David Neres stroked home the only goal of a feisty game in the 36th minute at the Stadio Olimpico, ending a blistering counterattack with a calm finish which put Napoli on 28 points. Napoli are behind Milan on goal-difference, and just one point ahead of both Roma and Inter in a tight scudetto battle in which Antonio Conte’s team are to host Juventus at the weekend. “To come to
RSS