With a COVID-19 outbreak tearing through their Thursday night opponent, the Golden State Warriors had their first game of the season postponed by pandemic complications as the Denver Nuggets’ available players dwindled below the minimum required by the NBA.
The Warriors-Nuggets game scheduled for Thursday night was called off with no immediately scheduled makeup date, the NBA announced approximately five hours before tipoff, becoming the 11th game around the league this season affected by surging pandemic. The league has taken measures to avoid further disruptions to the schedule, but the last-minute nature of Denver’s COVID-19 problem and its already depleted roster meant there were fewer than eight Nuggets available to suit up.
The Warriors had been looking forward for a chance to finish what they started Tuesday in a 24-point comeback that fell just short in the first of a home-and-home series this week with Denver, only with the additions of guards Jordan Poole and Moses Moody, who cleared health and safety protocols in time for Thursday night’s scheduled tip off.
Golden State will have to wait, though, after a rash of Nuggets entered health and safety protocols Thursday morning.
The Nuggets, who already had eight players ruled out or questionable for their game against Golden State, had their coach, Michael Malone, and three more players enter health and safety protocols Thursday morning, as well as two assistant coaches.
Forwards Jeff Green and Zeke Nnaji and guard Bones Hyland all entered protocols, leaving the Nuggets down a starter and two key reserves. Denver was due to be down three-fifths of its starting lineup and missing more than 30 points in bench scoring.
Denver’s ability to play depended on the status of four players listed on in the injury report as questionable: starting forwards Aaron Gordon (left hamstring soreness) and Monte Morris (left knee soreness), reserve forward Vlatko Cancar (non-COVID-19 illness) and reserve guard Austin Rivers (right thumb sprain).
Ultimately, the Nuggets didn’t have enough players available Thursday night, and the Warriors’ next game is in limbo.
Golden State is scheduled to travel to Salt Lake City for a showdown on Saturday against the Utah Jazz (25-9), another top Western Conference contender. The Warriors only have one set of consecutive days off in the month of January — after back-to-back road games next week at Dallas and New Orleans — that could conceivably fit in a makeup game.
While Poole and Moody have finished their time in health and safety protocols, as well as Andrew Wiggins, who returned Tuesday, the Warriors are still missing the services of Draymond Green and Damion Lee.
Green entered protocols Monday, while Lee has been out since Dec. 22.
New rules implemented by the NBA, in accordance with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allow for players and staff members to exit protocols after six days, down from 10. However, not every player will be ready to return to NBA action, even after a mild case of COVID-19.
Poole, the guard enjoying a breakout season averaging 17.9 points per game, was cooped up in a Boston hotel room. He was eligible to play Tuesday under the new NBA rules, but the Warriors opted for him to work out individually instead. Lee entered protocols two days before Moody but remains on the injury report.
