Wednesday night’s game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz was postponed at the last second, reportedly over some ill players.
The game was about ready to tip off at Chesapeake Energy Arena in OKC when the Thunder’s head medical doctor came sprinting onto the floor, according to ESPN’s Royce Young. The referees all conferred and spoke with the coaches. The players cleared off the floor.
Those who met decided to hold off on the tip off.
The game was postponed and the arena closed, with fans asked to leave in an orderly fashion.
Thunder and Jazz both head to locker rooms as refs reportedly await confirmation from the league to start the game. pic.twitter.com/aJk6CK5QzK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 12, 2020
Jazz-Thunder game has officially been postponed. Fans have been asked to leave Chesapeake Energy Arena. pic.twitter.com/i0rm4khahI
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 12, 2020
Two Utah Jazz players were ill and that is believed to be the reason for the precaution, according to Young.
Neither Emmanuel Mudiay nor Rudy Gobert participated in shootaround Wednesday due to illness, and both were listed as out for the game.
Emmanuel Mudiay and Rudy Gobert are both questionable for tonight’s game at Oklahoma City. Neither are feeling well. Neither went through shootaround this morning
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) March 11, 2020
The game being postponed comes the same day the NCAA announced its popular men’s basketball tournament would be played without fans in attendance. The NBA has been trying to decide how to proceed as the world looks to contain the outbreak of coronavirus. They are likely going to begin playing games without fans, so it’s no surprise that extreme precaution would be taken in this case.
