MIAMI — The NBA delayed Wednesday’s game between Miami-San Antonio after injuries and positive tests meant that the Heat were unable to fulfill the league’s eight player requirement.
This was the 10th NBA game that was delayed this season due to virus-related issues. None of the games have been rescheduled.
Twelve players were listed as unavailable for Miami’s game against the Spurs because of a variety reasons. On Tuesday night, the Heat defeated Washington with eight players remaining — only five of them would have been available to play Wednesday in San Antonio.
Gabe VincentAfter Tuesday’s win, he learned that he had received a positive result and could not travel. Jimmy ButlerHe was forced to withdraw from Wednesday’s game after injuring his right ankle during the Wizards’ final minute. KZ OkpalaHe was also injured on Tuesday and was therefore unable to play.
Heat also added P.J. TuckerAnd Zylan CheathamProtocols, which neither of them played on Tuesday. Miami guard was the last to play on Tuesday. Max StrusHe had no symptoms and was being pulled because he was warm. A positive test required that he enter the protocols.
Erik Spoelstra, Heat coach said, “That’s one of the most perplexing things about this right at this moment, this variant.” “I think that we have reached a point — as I said before, we need more information. Is there more asymptomatic patients? This is all with the caveat that double vaccination with booster and then an asymptomatic. What does this mean? … It leads to a lot confusion, I believe.”
Miami tried to obtain roster help Wednesday from the Austin Spurs. San Antonio’s G League affiliate is ironic because those players could travel quickly to San Antonio and be there in time to play. Miami was currently signing Austin center Aric Homan to a hardship agreement Wednesday and will likely need additional reinforcements before Friday’s scheduled game in Houston.
Nearly every NBA team has been suffering from virus-related issues in recent times. More than 120 players and five coaches were among those who entered Wednesday’s protocols.
Spoelstra stated that the entire league is going through this.
Following guidance by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the league advised teams Wednesday morning that it was revising its protocols. The goal is to reduce the time a positive player needs to be isolated to five days. The league made this disclosure in a memo that was obtained by The Associated Press.
The player must be either symptomatic or have his symptoms resolved by the fifth of the five-day isolation. However, this does not mean that a player will be able to return to the court quicker. The updated CDC guidelines now require that players wear a mask for at least five more days after being isolated.
However, it allows teams to allow commercial airlines to fly the player home quicker than in some cases while the 10-day isolation period was in place.
This report was compiled by the Associated Press.