The Heat and Bulls were set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night at the United Center, but a condensation issue on the floor of the arena led to a lengthy delay.
The game was officially postponed a little before 10 p.m. ET after a delay that lasted nearly two hours.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 9, 2026
Temperatures inside of United Center exceeded 71 degrees, with humidity factors north of 50%. Moisture on the floor caused by melting ice underneath the hardwood led to the delay, which obviously would have caused safety issues to the players running full speed up and down the court. The Blackhawks and Bulls share the United Center.
Truly bizarre scenes at United Center tonight. The Bulls - Heat game has been delayed for more than a hour as crews work to clean the court from condensation caused by the torrential downpours outside, warmer temps and high humidity levels. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/iVi5nuZdzs
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) January 9, 2026
Workers at the United Center were seen using large mops to try to mop the floor. In addition, the temperature was turned down in the arena to try to correct the issue, but due to the number of fans present, it was going to take a while for temperatures to cool down enough to resolve the condensation issue.
Heat star Tyler Herro and Bulls mascot Benny the Bull did their best to kill time during the delay, taking part in a contest to try to make shots from halfcourt.
During the delay, Benny the Bull challenged Tyler Herro to a backwards half court shot challenge and he made it first try 😳 pic.twitter.com/EnazhSyXem
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 9, 2026
The makeup date has yet to be announced.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bulls-Heat Postponed Due to Floor Condensation Issue at United Center.
