WASHINGTON _ As the NBA eases into a more restrictive coronavirus protocol, the Knicks and Nets got a nice feel Tuesday of what it's like to play in front of a fewer fans.
A small taste for what might come soon.
The official crowd number wasn't available immediately after the game. But whatever is announced, the reality was that Capital One Arena, which holds 20,356, was about half-full and the upper bowl was about } empty for Washington's 122-115 victory over the Knicks. The Wizards don't draw particularly well regardless, but the circumstances undoubtedly added to the swaths of empty seats.
Fears of the coronavirus have spread across the U.S., as politicians and the media warned of a pandemic. Schools and events were canceled across the country. The NBA began restricting access to locker rooms and ordered teams to keep media at least six feet away from its players. The Knicks announced Tuesday they're postponing the 50th anniversary celebration of their 1970 championship, which was scheduled for March 21st at the Garden. The players from that squad, all over 70 years old, were concerned about traveling with the coronavirus spreading.
The NBA's next step is playing in empty arenas, a measure that sports leagues in Europe already adopted. It's not out of the realm of possibility the Knicks just played one of their last games of the season in front of fans.
In addition to the coronavirus threat, the Knicks and Wizards didn't exactly present an intriguing matchup. They entered the night both out of a playoff spot with a combined record of 43-84.
Still, the crowd was louder than its numbers in the second half _ including the large percentage of Knicks fans. The Wizards jumped out to an 18-4 advantage after just four minutes, but New York responded with a 23-8 run and led by as many as 18 in the third quarter.
Washington evened the score heading into the fourth quarter and took over for the remainder.
New Knicks president Leon Rose got his first glimpse of his team on the road, traveling to D.C. with GM Scott Perry and executive Allan Houston.
It wasn't pretty. The game was a free-throw fest with the teams combining for 72 foul shots.
The Knicks (20-45) committed 19 turnovers that resulted in 28 points for Washington (24-40). The starting backcourt of Elfrid Payton and RJ Barrett shot a combined 6-for-21. Frank Ntilikina was New York's bright spot with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Bradley Beal dropped 40 points for the Wizards (24-40).
