Which NBA games have been postponed due to COVID-19? Impacted teams and schedule updates

Gilbert McGregor

Which NBA games have been postponed due to COVID-19? Impacted teams and schedule updates image

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on the daily operations of the 2021-22 NBA season.

A COVID-19 surge in the month of December has caused over 100 NBA players to return positive tests and enter the league's COVID health and safety protocols. Several teams have been impacted more than others, with as many as 13 players on one team being placed in the protocols at the same time.

MORE: Which NBA players are in COVID-19 health and safety protocols?

As of Dec. 30, the NBA has postponed a total of 11 games due to teams' lack of available players. Per NBA rules, a game is postponed when a team has fewer than eight available players.

Below, you will find the list of games that have been postponed and a tally of teams most affected.

NBA games postponed in 2021-22

Date Game Rescheduled Date
Dec. 14 Pistons vs. Bulls Jan. 11
Dec. 16 Bulls vs. Raptors Feb. 3
Dec. 19 Cavaliers vs. Hawks March 31
Dec. 19 Nuggets vs. Nets Jan. 26
Dec. 19 Pelicans vs. 76ers Jan. 25
Dec. 20 Magic vs. Raptors March 4
Dec. 21 Wizards vs. Nets Feb. 17
Dec. 22 Raptors vs. Bulls Jan. 26
Dec. 23 Nets vs. Trail Blazers Jan. 10
Dec. 29 Heat vs. Spurs Feb. 3
Dec. 30 Warriors vs. Nuggets March 7

NBA games postponed by team

  • Bulls, Nets, Raptors: three games
  • Nuggets: two games
  • 76ers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Heat, Magic, Pelicans, Pistons, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Wizards: one game

To combat availability issues, the NBA and NBPA reportedly made amendments to the league's hardship exemption on Dec. 20, allowing teams to sign a replacement player for each positive COVID-19 case on their respective rosters.

In some cases, however, replacement players were also placed within the COVID health and safety protocols, which, in conjunction with injuries, has resulted in the most recent postponements.

When will make up games be rescheduled?

Unlike the 2020-21 season, when the truncated 72-game schedule was announced in two halves, the 82-game schedule for the 2021-22 season was announced in full. Games will likely be rescheduled in accordance with the travel of affected teams.

In the instance of the Bulls and Raptors, two games between the teams needed to be rescheduled.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.