Thursday night’s game between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls at the United Center was postponed due to condensation on the court, the NBA announced. A make-up date has not yet been set.
The game, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local time) was delayed for nearly two hours before officially being postponed. Chicago experienced unseasonably warm temperatures — in the 50s — and significant humidity and rain Thursday, with flood and flash flood warnings throughout the area.
Furthermore, the Chicago Blackhawks had played at the United Center the previous night, defeating the St. Louis Blues 7-3. All of those factors combined to form a court that was visibly wet in several spots, despite the best efforts of several arena staffers who used towels and other supplies in an effort to dry the court.
The Athletic reported humidity levels in the arena were nearly double what they usually are, and the Bulls broadcast noted the arena had pumped the air conditioning in an attempt to help solve the issue.
It created a strange scene inside, with players intermittently doing some light warmups, playing “horse” or trying trick shots and then going back to the locker room. Players were sent back to their locker rooms about 50 minutes after the original tip-off time, per Chicago Sports Network. They then emerged from and retreated to the locker rooms again about 1:45 after the game was scheduled to begin.
The delay wasn’t all for naught, though: Benny the Bull produced this highlight.
Though rare, postponements of this ilk aren’t completely unprecedented. In 2016, the Philadelphia 76ers’ home game against the Sacramento Kings at what was then the Wells Fargo Center was postponed due to essentially the same situation: warm temperatures, humidity and a hockey game the previous night.