CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The NBA has postponed Charlotte Hornets home games Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls and Friday against the Denver Nuggets over COVID-19 related issues.
That resulted from the San Antonio Spurs — the Hornets’ opponent Sunday — having four players test positive for coronavirus since the game.
The Hornets’ home game against the Golden State Warriors, scheduled for Saturday at Spectrum Center, has not yet been postponed. After that game, the Hornets are scheduled for a six-game trip through the Western Conference before All-Star break.
Under guidance from the NBA, the Hornets canceled a scheduled team practice Tuesday. Players were allowed to have individual shooting workouts with a coach (both masked and socially distanced) one player at a time on the court.
Players didn’t have access to locker rooms Tuesday. Pending additional guidance from the league, that approach — only single-player workouts and limited access to Spectrum Center — will continue through Thursday.
The Hornets had three players out Sunday — starter P.J. Washington and reserves Caleb and Cody Martin — under what the NBA describes as “health and safety protocols,” the league’s term for COVID-19 issues. All three of those players also missed Friday’s home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. COVID-19 concerns disrupted the team’s game-day routine Friday, with players barred from the arena until about 90 minutes before tip-off, while additional testing was done.
Because of various injuries and COVID-19 protocols, the Hornets were down to eight available players in the second half of Sunday’s game against the Spurs.
Since then, the Spurs have had four players test positive for COVID-19. The NBA announced Tuesday it has postponed the Spurs’ next three games. After COVID-19 issues arose Monday, the Spurs never departed Charlotte.
The Spurs’ outbreak has prompted additional contact tracing of Hornets players. So far, the Hornets and NBA have announced no changes in players’ status.
The NBA rescheduled the Nuggets to play the Cavaliers in Cleveland Friday. That game would have otherwise been played in the second half of the season, a schedule the league has not yet announced.
