The NBA game between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat was postponed indefinitely on Thursday, January 8, due to poor court conditions at the United Center caused by moisture and condensation buildup that posed a safety risk to the players.
The court was not in playable condition, despite multiple attempts by the venue staff to fix the problem before the official start of the match.
Why was the Bulls vs. Heat game suspended?
According to official information, the United Center had hosted an ice hockey game by the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. Added to this was an unusually warm and rainy day in Chicago, which caused condensation to form on the surface of the basketball court.
This combination caused the hardwood floor to become slippery, posing a high risk of injury to players on both teams.
Players and coaches warned about the risk.
Both the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat went thru their usual pregame warm-up routines, but quickly noticed that the court wasn’t safe to compete on.
The players were complaining about the condition of the court. “We all went out there and immediately realized we couldn’t play,” said Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Miami Heat.
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Failed attempts to save the match
For more than 90 minutes, United Center staff tried to correct the situation by:
- Increase in air conditioning
- Manually drying the floor with mops and industrial towels.
- Adjustments to the room’s ventilation
However, the humidity persisted, so the NBA office, along with referees and coaches, made the official decision to postpone the game.
When will the Bulls vs. Heat game be played?
To date, the NBA has not announced a new date for the rescheduled game. Furthermore, the Miami Heat are not scheduled to return to Chicago for the remainder of the regular season, which complicates the schedule.
