The Chicago Bulls’ next two games, against the Detroit Pistons and the Toronto Raptors, have been cancelled because ten Bulls players and various staff members are in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, the NBA confirmed Monday. With so many players out, and and and and the Chicago Bulls face the danger of not having enough healthy players to take the court.
This is the first postponement of an NBA game this season, and it serves as a reminder of the coronavirus pandemic’s pervasiveness. When a player tests positive for the coronavirus or is likely exposed to someone who has, they must go through the procedures. Once in the procedure, players must be quarantined for 10 days or until they have two consecutive negative P.C.R. test results.
Since expanding testing after Thanksgiving, the league has witnessed a significant increase in the number of players undergoing procedures, even among vaccinated players. The Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors both postponed practices last week, citing “an excess of caution.”
The Charlotte Hornets, who had five players mentioned in protocols last week, are another team hit by the recent uptick in instances. On Monday, the squad listed only two players, including its star, LaMelo Ball.
Arturas Karnisovas, the Chicago Bulls’ executive vice president, stated prior to the season that the club was “coming fairly close” to being completely vaccinated. The league and organization did not promptly answer a reporter’s question regarding whether all of the Bulls’ players had gotten the COVID-19 vaccination.
The epidemic impacted the NBA from the start of last season, with scores of games postponed throughout the season, largely in January. Only the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and New York Knicks did not have a game postponed.
The Chicago Bulls’ next game is tentatively slated for Sunday, when they will visit the Lakers. The Bulls were 17-10 as of Monday, ranked third in the Eastern Conference, and had had a surprising great start to the season. In the off-season, they signed four-time All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan, guard Lonzo Ball from the New Orleans Pelicans, and guard Alex Caruso from the Los Angeles Lakers. DeRozan has missed the last three games due to protocol issues.
