NBA Covid Miami runs out of players to fulfill the commitment
LThe NBA postponed Wednesday’s game between Miami and San Antonio, after a combination of injuries and positive COVID-19 cases left the Heat unable to meet the eight-player requirement.
This is the tenth game postponed in the NBA during the current campaign due to problems related to the coronavirus. No new date has been announced for a single of those matches.
Miami lost 12 players to the game against the Spurs for various reasons. The Heat beat Washington on the seas on the night with eight players available – of those, only five would have been able to play Wednesday in San Antonio.
Gabe Vincent, who played 35 minutes in Tuesday’s win, learned after the game that he had tested positive and was unable to travel. Jimmy Butler was ruled out for Wednesday, after spraining his right ankle with about a minute left in the game against the Wizards. and KZ Okpala was unable to play due to an injury suffered also on Tuesday.
The Heat also added in the health protocols to PJ Tucker and Zylan Cheatham, none of which were active on Tuesday.
And Tuesday’s meeting took place after Max Strus, a Miami guard who had not presented symptoms, was withdrawn after the warm-up, when testing positive for COVID-19 and entering the protocols.
“This is what puzzles us now with this variant” of the virus, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I’ve said this before: I think we’ve reached a point where we need more information. Are there more asymptomatic? What does all this mean, with the double vaccine, the booster and the asymptomatic? What adjustments can we make? I think this creates a lot of confusion. “
Miami had tried to strengthen its roster on Wednesday, paradoxically with the help of the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s affiliate in the G League. The decision was partly due to the fact that those players could get to San Antonio relatively quickly, in time to play on Wednesday.
Miami was in the process of hiring Aric Holman, Austin pvot, on Wednesday, and probably need new reinforcements before your next engagement, agreed for Friday in Houston.
Almost every team in the NBA has dealt with a coronavirus-related problem in recent days. More than 120 players and five coaches were in the protocols at the start of Wednesday.
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