Heat-Bulls Game Called Off After Slick Court Conditions at United Center
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The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls had their Thursday night matchup postponed when moisture on the United Center floor rendered the surface unsafe for play.
Players completed pregame warmups but quickly flagged the slippery spots. Arena crews spent more than 90 minutes trying to dry the hardwood—raising the air-conditioning level, mopping and laying down large towels—yet condensation kept forming.
“The players were complaining about it on both sides,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We all went out there and pretty much immediately, we felt that it wasn’t playable.”
The dampness was traced to a Chicago Blackhawks hockey game held on the same ice sheet Wednesday night, followed by an unseasonably warm, rainy day in the city. The combination left lingering moisture between the ice and the basketball court installed above it.
The NBA league office, game officials and both coaching staffs agreed to postpone the contest. No makeup date was announced, and Miami has no other trip to Chicago on its regular-season schedule.
Similar moisture issues forced game postponements in Minnesota and Philadelphia during the 2016-17 season under comparable weather conditions.
Source: ESPN
