First of Many: NBA Postpones Houston-OKC Game as COVID-19 Precaution

Even National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner Adam Silver admitted on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time), "When you're playing outside a bubble, it's almost impossible to avoid this virus," And as many observers believe, the 2020-2021 NBA regular season is bound to see games getting postponed due to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), and it didn't take before the league postpones a game.

Right on the second day of the regular season in which 13 games are slated, the NBA announced the postponement of the game between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder as a precautionary measure. “The National Basketball Association game scheduled for tonight between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center has been postponed in accordance with the league’s health and safety protocols," the league's statement read. 

League reports said that three Houston players whose latest COVID-19 tests were either positive or inconclusive while four others had been put into quarantine due to contact tracing measure. On top of that, troubled star James Harden was already ruled out of the game after violating protocols to which a 50,000-Dollar fine was imposed on Harden. All in all, the Rockets didn't have the minimum number of players available for the game which is eight players.

While this will be a shortened 72-game regular season, the season's second half is not yet clear to give the league the flexibility to adjust due to postponements such as this one. And it's inevitable that more games will be postponed. 

Photo is from CBS Sports