DETROIT — The NBA’s issues with COVID-19 contact tracing continue to spread throughout the league, and it’s reached the Pistons.
Their Friday matchup against the Washington Wizards has been postponed, in accordance with the league’s health and safety protocols. The Wizards have been dealing with contact tracing and have had players sitting out because of concerns about COVID-19 exposure.
“Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Wizards and Suns, the teams will not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with Friday night’s games,” the league noted in a release.
It’s the first game on the Pistons’ schedule that’s been impacted by safety protocols. The Wizards’ matchup Wednesday against the Utah Jazz previously had been postponed. Additionally, the NBA had postponed games with the Orlando Magic versus the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks at Phoenix Suns.
The number of positive tests and close contacts have spread and the NBA, with an abundance of caution, is looking to prevent the possible spread between the Celtics, Wizards and Suns.
The NBA, in releasing only the first half of the schedule, allowed flexibility for some games to be rescheduled because of positive tests or games being postponed. The first half of the schedule goes through March 2 and the remainder of the schedule, including rescheduled or postponed games, will be announced closer to March.
