2 NBA games postponed as league considers update to health protocols
The NBA postponed two more games Monday citing the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Tonight's matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks and tomorrow's game between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls have been postponed, the league said in a statement.
League officials will discuss modifying the league's safety protocols with the player's union on Monday.
Under the league's current rules, players who test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic are required to sit out for 10 days after their test and pass health screenings before returning to court. Those who test positive and show any symptoms also sit for an additional 10 days after they stop showing symptoms, keeping them from the game and workouts.
While the league has not confirmed which players have tested positive or been exposed to COVID-19, Mavericks players Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Richardson and Jalen Brunson have been listed as "out" on the public injury/illness report since Friday due to the NBA's protocols. The Maverick's played Saturday's game against the Orland Magic without the trio.
"Today's game was postponed by the league not because of a depleted roster, but to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and team personnel," a Mavericks spokesperson told CBS News.
Current activity protocol bans players from visiting bars, clubs and gyms and from attending live sporting events and social gatherings with more than 15 people. If players test positive, the teams' training centers must also close.
Last year, the NBA finished its' postponed season in a "bubble," completely isolating players from the general public at the Walt Disney World resort in Florida. But the 2021 season has players traveling back and forth from arenas. Four of 498 players have tested positive for COVID-19, the league announced last week.