Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets talks with teammates during a timeout against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on November 24, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images/AFP
The Toronto Raptors’ game against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday and the Brooklyn Nets’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday have been postponed due to a shortage of players on the visiting teams, the NBA said, amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.
The NBA said on its website that the Nets had 10 players in health and safety protocols as of Tuesday, with key players Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving among those on the list.
ESPN reported that the Raptors had eight players in health and safety protocols, with OG Anunoby the latest to be added on Wednesday.
The NBA said in two statements released on Wednesday that both the Raptors and Nets did not have “the league-required eight available players” to proceed with their respective games.
The Raptors were scheduled to face the Bulls at Chicago’s United Center, while the Nets were due to play the Trail Blazers at Portland’s Moda Center.
A total of nine NBA games have been postponed this season.
Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said the league has no plans to pause its season.