Magic vs. Celtics Game on Wednesday Postponed Amid COVID-19 Concerns

Wednesday's game between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics has been postponed, the NBA announced Tuesday.

This is Boston's third straight postponement. The Celtics and Magic are also scheduled to play Friday, and it's unknown whether that game's date will need to be moved as well, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

Boston last played Jan. 8 in a 116-107 win over the Washington Wizards. The Athletic's Fred Katz noted how multiple teams have experienced COVID-19-related problems following a game against Washington:

The Celtics were unable to play the Miami Heat on Sunday because the Heat didn't have at least eight players available to suit up. Boston subsequently had a roster crunch of its own because of multiple positive tests and contact tracing, leading to the postponement of Tuesday's game against the Chicago Bulls.

According to the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, head coach Brad Stevens should have nine players at his disposal Friday, allowing the game to go ahead as long as no more problems arise:

The NBA has only released the first half of its regular-season slate, partially to allow a buffer to reschedule any games that may have been postponed. Given how many games they've moved around already, the Celtics could be in a tight spot to ensure they complete their full schedule.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke to a group of NBA governors and league personnel Dec. 30, cautioning that January was expected to be "the worst month" in terms of combatting COVID-19.

"We are optimistic about improvements in February ... after we get through the darkest days," Silver said during the meeting.

According to Charania, there have been no discussions among NBA officials about temporarily suspending the season because of the present situation.

Wojnarowski reported Tuesday the NBA and National Basketball Players Association are working on changes to the COVID-19 health and safety protocols to limit the amount of contact between players during games.