Sunday night’s game between the Bulls and Raptors has been postponed, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. The decision was made because Toronto doesn’t have the league minimum of eight players available due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing, Charania adds.
The Raptors are dealing with a virus outbreak that affected Pascal Siakam and most of their coaching staff for Friday’s game. At least one coach reportedly tested positive, while the rest are in quarantine. Siakam, who returned an inconclusive rapid test, is expected to be out of action through the All-Star break, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Toronto has two games remaining before the break, and both may be in jeopardy considering the league’s policy of being cautious amid coronavirus outbreaks. The Raptors are scheduled to host the Pistons on Tuesday and the Celtics on Thursday.
The Bulls shouldn’t be affected, as they just arrived in Florida on Saturday, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. They will return home for Monday’s game against the Nuggets. It remains to be seen if Sunday’s news will have any effect on the Rockets, Toronto’s opponent on Friday, who are scheduled to face the Grizzlies on Sunday night.
The Raptors had been one of just four teams without a postponement during the first half of the season, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The only remaining teams are the Lakers, Clippers and Nets.
Sunday night’s game is the 33rd to be postponed since the season began, and the 30th caused by the virus. Two others were due to harsh weather in Texas last week, and one was a scheduling choice to accommodate a makeup game. You can see the complete list here.
