COVID-19 could spoil one of the most cherished, festive days of the NBA Calendar this year.
According to reports from basketball news-breakers Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA is planning contingencies in case games need to be shifted around.
As it stands now, the Warriors are slated to play the Suns in Phoenix at 2 p.m. PST on ABC. The battle of the teams with the league’s two best records is the premier event of the day, as the Lakers and Nets matchup isn’t as glitzy as it may have looked preseason given Los Angeles’ struggles and Brooklyn’s COVID issues.
Other matchups include the New York Knicks hosting Atlanta at 9 a.m., Boston Celtics against Milwaukee Bucks at 11:30, and Mavericks-Jazz as the 7:30 nightcap.
Formulating backup plans seems to be the logical, and possibly only, move the NBA can make at this point. Over 100 players have entered health and safety protocols in the month of December.
As of Tuesday morning, Golden State has Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins in protocol, while Phoenix has its entire roster available.
Other teams aren’t as lucky. Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari joined Trae Young in health and safety protocols Tuesday for the Hawks, decimating three-fifths of their starting lineup.
So if some teams are unable to field eight-player rosters on Christmas Day, it’s possible Golden State gets flexed to prime time.
