As the Wizards continue to battle a COVID-19 outbreak, their games against the Cavaliers on Sunday and Monday have been postponed.
With the Wizards in the middle of a COVID-19 outbreak, their games against the Cavaliers on Sunday and Monday have been postponed, according to the league.
The team does not have the required eight players to have a game. The NBA has now postponed a total of 12 games within the first three weeks of the schedule.
As of Friday, five Wizards players have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania and Fred Katz.
Washington has already postponed two games this week—Wednesday against the Jazz and Friday against the Pistons. Their last game was on Monday, a 128–107 victory over the Suns. Practice was then canceled after two unnamed players entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Sixers guard Seth Curry played 36 minutes against Washington and tested positive for COVID-19 the next day. During their next game against the Celtics, Jayson Tatum played 35 minutes and even spoke with Bradley Beal on the court postgame. Tatum tested positive one day later. Beal then missed a single game due to health and safety protocols after this interaction.
People have continued to question whether the NBA should return to the bubble, and in response to the rising COVID-19 numbers, the league announced revised health and safety protocols.
The following new protocols were added to the existing list.
- Players cannot leave their hotel when on the road
- They will not be able to interact "with non-team guests at the hotel."
- Players are required to wear face masks on the bench at all times.
- Players must "avoid extended socializing" at games, limiting their pregame and postgame interactions to an elbow or first bump.