In an unusual turn of events, the NBA called off the Bulls-Heat matchup at the United Center because of condensation on the court. due to “court condensation.”
What was meant to be a typical regular-season showdown between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat turned into a delay-of-drama at the United Center on Friday, Jan. 9 (PH time).
Moisture on the court left the floor too slick to play, forcing officials to postpone the game to a later date.
“The NBA game scheduled for tonight between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls at the United Center has been postponed due to moisture on the floor rendering the court unplayable,” the league announced.
The game was scheduled to tip off at 9:00 a.m. (PH time), but nearly two hours later, officials decided to call it off.
Players went through pregame warmups and lingered on the court for about 45 minutes as staff tried to dry the surface and officials lowered arena temperatures.
Reports indicate that heavy rain and high temperatures, combined with the ice underneath the basketball court, contributed to the condensation.
Additional factors include the United Center being home to the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, who played there on Thursday, January 8 (PH time) and beat the St. Louis Blues.
While NBA postponements due to unplayable conditions are rare, Friday’s delay is not without precedent.
In 2016, a December game between the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers was postponed after condensation from the ice rink under the court made the surface slippery.
Similarly, the Minnesota Timberwolves had to postpone a 2017 home game against the Portland Trail Blazers because of a slick floor at Minneapolis’ Target Center.
Chicago (17-20) was looking to halt a three-game losing streak and avenge an earlier loss to the visiting Heat (20-17).
Other results saw the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz snap their respective losing streaks, while Anthony Edwards reached the 10,000-career-point milestone, leading the Timberwolves to their fourth-straight win.
[RELATED: NBA: Anthony Edwards eclipses 10K points, anchors Twolves to fourth-straight win vs. Cavs]
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.