Wizards Cancel Practice Tuesday After 2 Players Enter Health, Safety Protocols
The Washington Wizards announced they have canceled Tuesday's practice after two players entered the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Washington's next game is scheduled for Wednesday night at home against the Utah Jazz.
Wizards star guard Bradley Beal missed Saturday's game against the Miami Heat while in the protocol after being deemed a close contact of someone who tested positive.
Beal was cleared to return for Monday's matchup with the Phoenix Suns, scoring a game-high 34 points in a 128-107 victory.
"It was weird," he told reporters after the game. "Last couple of days, 48 hours, was crazy. Having to stay away from everybody and quarantine with myself the last couple of days. The positive is I've been testing negative, so that's a good thing."
So far the NBA has postponed four games because of COVID-19 issues, including three straight days with at least one game being called off as cases rise around the league.
"We anticipated that there would be game postponements this season and planned the schedule accordingly," NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. "There are no plans to pause the season, and we will continue to be guided by our medical experts and health and safety protocols."
The NFL went through a similar surge of cases, including outbreaks within a few different teams, before implementing more stringent protocols that allowed the league to finish its regular season on time.
It appears the NBA will attempt to weather the storm in the same way.
"It is getting scarier with games getting postponed and teams not being able to play," Beal said. "It's what we agreed to do at the beginning of the year. We've gotta go out and get it done. I'm not sure if the league or the [players association] will come together and figure out a different method or go to a bubble or whatever the case may be. We haven't heard anything."
Beginning Wednesday, the Wizards are scheduled to play five games in eight days.
Six games remain on the league's schedule for Tuesday after a meeting between the Celtics and Chicago Bulls was postponed, and so far Wednesday's 10-game slate has been unaffected.
